Mortal Kombat: Kaito's Konquest
by Nave the DM
Summary: In a combined universe of various Mortal Kombat media, a new hero will rise when he receives an invitation to an ancient tournament, but events conspire against him as the fickle hand of fate casts him off on an adventure that will change the realms forever. This story is the novelization of a quest written on 4chan's /tg/ board and hosted there every weekend.
1. An Invitation

Throughout all of the realms, throughout all of time and space, there is only one absolute. For some, it is a path to enlightenment. For others, a tool to be used for destruction. It is both a defense for entire worlds and a threat to all of existence. Some seek to manipulate it to selfishly benefit themselves. Some wish to utterly control it and decide how it is used, be it for good or evil. There exist individuals whose entire lives are defined by it, and others who want nothing further to do with it, yet find themselves unable to escape from it. It has wrought the painful deaths of millions, and birthed the eternal legends of those who survive it. It takes many different shapes and forms, each determined by those who control it and those who participate in it. It can be a tournament, pitting powerful forces against each other in a bloody contest of might. It can be a single match, with only two individuals seeking the other's ultimate death. It can be a war that will annihilate everything that exists. It has been all of these things in the past, and it will be all of these things in the future.

For it has always been, and it will always be.

This force, this power, this weapon, this living essence... knows only one name.

"MORTAL KOMBAT!"

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 **This story is the novelization of a quest hosted on 4chan's /tg/ board every weekend. You can participate in these threads and decide what happens next by voting through your posts; the story is written in a choose-your-adventure format. You can learn more details by messaging DamashiKonquest on twitter, or you can look up the thread for yourself on /tg/'s archive, sup/tg/, by searching through title or keyword, either being Mortal Kombat.**

 **This story follows an original protagonist in a universe of combined Mortal Kombat media, from games to comics, books, films and more. The quest thread has been going on for quite some time now, so if you'd like to read ahead in the /tg/ archives, go right ahead. As I previously stated, you can participate in the threads and are encouraged to help decide where the story goes. The quest is hosted every weekend with one or two new threads, but if something comes up, a message will be made by the previously indicated twitter account.**

 **Otherwise, enjoy.**

 **Our story begins now.**

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 **Pier 40, Chai Wan Bay, Hong Kong**

 **Midnight**

 **October 8th, 1992**

There is a gathering on the docks this night. Workers mill about, hauling cargo onto and from ships, sheering metal and pulling chains, but they are oblivious to the strangers in their midst. Some of them take notice of the foreigners on the docks but pay them little attention before returning to their job. Strangers from other countries are not an uncommon sight in this part of the world. But this night in particular is special, for people from all over the world, from many different walks of life, can be seen on this night. Each of them is here because they have been summoned by an ancient invitation, delivered personally to each in the form of a cloth with writing on it kept in a simple wooden case.

An invitation to a tournament called Mortal Kombat.

Everyone here is a fighter. Some specialize in very exotic styles and some of them are killers. There are people from America, China, Japan, Russia, Australia—almost every corner of the globe had received an invitation. The instructions to each were simple enough: come to this dock on this night and board a boat to be taken to the tournament. Each cloth scroll invitation promised a prize unlike any other.

Many on this dock have never heard of Mortal Kombat. Some are here for money or fame, others are on a personal quest. Some are searching for something and others are here simply to fight. But one among them is uncertain of what he is truly here for. He received his invitation from a stranger and before he could ask the man how he even knew him, the stranger was gone. This man, a wanderer by nature, was not unfamiliar with tournaments, though the ones he attended were often unorganized and little more than illegal pit-fighting leagues. Curious, and with little else to do and not wanting to refuse a persona invitation, he left. With what few things he owned in a duffle bag and the clothes on his back, he made his way to Hong Kong and on here he stands, waiting to see what manner of event is unfolding.

His name is Akayama Kaito, originally from Japan, Kyoto to be specific. But for most of his formative years he was hauled across Japan by his thrill-seeking father, which led to Kaito developing his wanderlust in later years alongside a similar carefree personality, though his friends would describe him as being rather snarky in nature. His father was a fighter, a passable disciple of an ancient Chinese art, though many would argue it is not very artful of a fighting style. Roughly translated, it is known as Bloody Hands. His father taught him this style through many hard lessons, for its name is well-deserved.

The style focuses on tearing through an enemy's defenses with rending attacks. In general, it is a very fast, close range and in-your-face style, very contrary to the many more traditionally peaceful, passive and introspective martial arts. The style is known for covering ones hands with their opponent's blood, but also their own, as one of the core training methods involves punching solid objects, eventually upgrading to rocks and slabs of stone. Kaito broke his knuckles more than a few times, but ended up being able to punch harder than ever before.

His father was harsh and strict when it came to the lessons, but he was not a cruel man. He was simply unwavering in his teaching methods. He taught Kaito that life could be very unfortunate and would rarely give him any breaks. If he were to live, he would have to face each and every challenge and never back down. He trained Kaito to be tough, but also to be fair. He didn't believe in misusing the Bloody Hands against the innocent, only other fighters or those who deserved it. His father had a very strong and traditional sense of justice which Kaito came to admire greatly.

On some nights, as they wandered across Japan, his father would tell him legends. He was a well-studied man in this respect, knowing a great deal of mythology from various cultures across the globe, as well as the tales surrounding the Bloody Hands style. He spoke of warriors in ancient times, old masters wreathed in red lightning as they fought with these techniques. The young Kaito was enthralled by these tales.

But upon reaching young adulthood, his father vanished without so much as a trace or a word of his intentions, abandoning him. For a time, Kaito returned to live with his mother in Kyoto, but grew a bit rebellious, rarely attending school much to her chagrin. In only a few short years, he left again. Kaito resumed roaming, traveling to other countries in search of his father but finding no trail left behind. Along the way, he fought, sometimes for money, sometimes for sport. This ended up with him getting into trouble more than a few times, and as fight after fight began to pile up, he found himself wanting something more.

Despite all his lessons, he had never been taught the importance of having a purpose. For the last two years, he's struggled to find something more meaningful than mindlessly bloodletting his opponents. As he stands upon this dock, arms folded and eyes downcast, he reflects on what he's been through and why he's come here. Not for fame or money, but to find something worthwhile to fight for. For too long he has felt guilty about the sheer brutality of his fighting style, having encountered more peaceful paths and alternative lifestyles during his travels. He dabbled in some of them for a time, but like school, he found them distasteful and eventually always went back to his father's teachings.

Sometimes, he fears he will get lost in bloodshed if he is not careful. He could end up in jail or worse. And sometimes he swears that an ominous presence is delighting in the blood he spills. He isn't sure if it's the ghost of his father or the demons he left the child with, but Kaito is determined not to fall prey to it, whatever it may be.

Amidst all this thought, he failed to notice a man approaching him.

He is startled when his shoulder is tapped and looks at the man, immediately noticing his nice black suit and charismatic smile. He looks American, with stylish brown hair, straight white teeth and blue eyes, though a bit tan. He holds up a hundred dollar bill in one hand.

"Hey! Interested in making some money?"

Kaito is a bit wary of so sudden an offer from a complete stranger, but doesn't immediately react negatively.

The man points a thumb at the edge of the dock near a large pile of luggage. "One of the locals just threw one of my suitcases into the water. Can you believe that? Anyway, this is a nice suit, right? I'm not up to getting it wet and dirty in the bay here. See where this is going?"

"You want me to get it for you?" Kaito asks.

The man nods. "Well, you're not exactly wearing top of the line, right?" Kaito looks down at his simple black shirt and sweatpants. "Hundred bucks, American. Whaddaya say?"

After a moment, Kaito looks up from his admittedly somewhat ragged attire and says, "Eh, sure. Not like getting a little wet ever killed anyone." He kicks off his shoes, because he considers waterlogged shoes a terrible torment, and prepares to dive into the water.

"Yeah, but a lot can kill you!" the man says with a smile as Kaito dives in.

The suitcase had already sunk to the bottom, but Kaito finds it after a moment of looking. His fingers find the handle and he pulls it out of the muck before surfacing. The suited man reaches down and grabs Kaito's hand, helping to pull him back up onto the dock.

The youthful Japanese man gets to his feet and hands him the suitcase. He smiles and hands him the money. "Thanks!" he beams him another smile. Under this new light, however, Kaito begins to recognize the smile and the man who wears it. "You here for the tournament?"

Kaito only nods in response, squinting a bit as he tries to recognize the man.

"Well, good luck to you, especially if you come up against me. Make no mistake: the critics may call me a fake, but Johnny Cage is going to show the whole world what he's all about when I win this thing."

Kaito's eyes widen. Johnny Cage! He's never met an actual celebrity before, much less a superstar Hollywood action hero! He finds himself a bit star struck as Johnny thanks him again and moves off to prepare his luggage. Kaito desperately searches for something to have the man autograph—he's seen most of his films! He inwardly slaps himself for not immediately recognizing the star of films like Cage Match, The Gist of my Fist and Ninja Mime! He looks at the hundred in his hand and briefly entertains the notion of asking Johnny to sign it, but that would be rather foolish. Or would it?

As he thinks it over, Kaito puts his shoes back on before he hears a noise to his right, coming from the shadows. "Psst! Over here."

He looks and sees nothing at first, but then from the darkness a glowing red light slowly emerges. It almost resembles a glowing red eye.

"Hey, you, c'mere. I wanna talk ta ya," the voice from the shadows says with a strange accent. Kaito can't quite tell if it's Cockney or Australian.

Well, Kaito isn't afraid of a light, nor a fight if it comes to blows, so he stands up and asks, "What is it?" He narrows his eyes as the man doesn't leave the metal shack or the shadows. "You always this ominous?"

"Just keepin' outta sight," the man says. Nearby, a worker puts a saw to some metal, creating a shower of sparks that briefly illuminates the man's face. Kaito can see he has a thick goatee and beard, and the right half of his face is dominated by some kind of metal plate with a glowing red eye, like he's straight out of a Terminator film. "Saw you fetch that man's suitcase for some quick cash. Up fer somethin' a little more lucrative? I got a blondie comin' in hot; she's gonna try an' keep me offa the boat when it comes in. Distract her and I'll owe you a favor, mate."

'Definitely Australian,' Kaito thinks.

The offer is strange and unquestionably intentionally vague. He doesn't know the man, nor the woman, but what manner of favor could he owe? Kaito isn't certain he can trust the man without more details.

"What's the risk with the girl?" He doesn't want to get involved if she's ready to kill.

The man smiles and chuckles to himself. "Oh, she's just an old friend, heh. A bit hot under the collar, if ya know what I mean. I just need a clear shot at the boat. She prob'ly won't care too much if ya make it look like an accident by trippin' her up a bit."

Kaito folds his arms and thinks for a moment, weighing the pros and cons.

"Alright, if it's for a favor, I'll lend you a hand. But just distracting her."

"Atta boy," he replies. "Keep an eye out for the blonde. The boat should be comin' in any—well, lookie here…"

Kaito turns, following the cyclopean sight of the man and sees a large fog begin to appear over the water. It rolls outwards over the still waves, looking strangely unnatural, coiling and twisting with vaporous tendrils towards the dock. Other invitees take notice and begin to gather, staring out over the water's surface at the surreal sight. From within this fog, a dark shape takes form, moving through the obscuring veil. The head of a dragon, wooden, with blazing red eyes in the dark of night, cuts through the mist. It is the figurehead of a ship.

The hairs on Kaito's neck stand up and a shiver rolls up his spine as everyone on the dock watches in silence as the boat approaches. It looks old, with tattered sails, rotting ropes, old wood with a hull covered in barnacles and other sea life. The ship looks decrepit in every sense of the term, but the most curious quality about it is the absence of crew. It almost seems as though a ghost ship, devoid of people, but moving and stopping alongside the dock all the same as if it were.

From the side of the ship emerges a plank with chain railings. The sound of grinding chains and gears within the ship can be heard as the walkway extends to the dock, and the sound of it hitting the wood floor, a loud thump, is accented by the noises of the ship ceasing the moment it does.

For a moment, nobody moves as they stare up at the strange, otherworldly vessel. The wind blows through the bleak sails and causes lanterns on the ship to swing back and forth on their ropes, again adding to the ghostly appearance, as though men were holding them and taunting those on the dock to dare walk upon the plank leading up to the deck.

Johnny Cage, at the front with his luggage, picks up his bags and strides up. Others follow him.

Just then, the one-eyed man grabs Kaito's shoulder and turns him away from the ship, pointing further inland. "There!" he says, having seen her before Kaito could, possibly due to the strange technology making up his right eye.

Kaito looks through the darkness of midnight, aided by the full moon, and spies a blonde woman wearing dark, military-looking fatigues. She is crouching behind some crates, scanning the area with a pair of binoculars, likely looking for the very man Kaito is speaking to. He's suddenly not so sure about messing with her if she's some kind of police or military official. Plus, he really should board that boat…

"Showtime, boy," he says with a small shove. Kaito swallows a lump in his throat and slowly walks towards her.

Deciding to go along with the plan and merely distract her, he approaches her as she continually surveys the area. He steps in her path and asks, "Hey, did you know Johnny Cage is here? Are you a fan?"

"Not now, damnit," she replies with a very firm and authoritative voice. "I'm looking for someone. Don't interfere."

'Well, she's certainly driven,' Kaito thinks. "Excuse me, miss, but are you a fighter for the tournament? I could use a sparring partner."

She shoots him an incredulous look. "I already said that I'm busy. Move along before I—"

She stops suddenly, seeing the red-eyed man walk out of the shadows and up the ramp. He purposefully turns his head to look out towards her with a cocky grin on his face.

"KANO!" she shouts, before moving to intercept him. As she stands, Kaito sees the gun at her side, holstered on her hip. She is definitely some kind of solider or government agent—he doesn't want to get involved.

Kaito turns and walks to the boat, but fails to notice a rope lying across the way. As his foot makes contact with it, he spins and then falls in front of her, causing her to trip over him in turn, accidentally doing exactly what the man wanted him to do. She looks up and sees the man, Kano apparently, having vanished somewhere onto the deck of the ship and slams a fist into the wood in frustration. She doesn't spare Kaito a second glance as she gets up and runs to the retracting plank and jumps onto it.

Seeing that the boat is pulling away from the dock, Kaito gets up and runs towards it. The plank is now nearly fully retracted, but there's a chance he might be able to jump and grab one of the ropes on the side. He leaps off the edge of the dock and barely, just barely, manages to grab onto one of the many ropes hanging off the side of the ship. His feet dangle over the water as the boat pulls away from the dock and he begins to pull himself up, breathing heavily.

The blonde soldier and Kano are nowhere to be seen, but the other invitees are lounging around the deck, exploring and talking to each other, just mingling to pass the time. As before, there appears to be no crew on the vessel. As Kaito recovers, a Chinese man with long, somewhat shaggy hair approaches him and offers him a hand up. He gratefully takes it and stands, leaning back on the railing.

"What happened?" the man asks.

"Nearly missed my ride," Kaito says with a smile. He looks around the boat, finding the deck to look not much better than the rest of the boat. In fact, he's surprised it isn't falling apart. "What is this ship?"

"Very old," the man says, looking around. "I heard stories about ships like this from my grandfather when I was little… Netherships that would carry warriors to the island of Mortal Kombat."

Kaito looks at him strangely. "What? What stories?"

"Never mind," he says. He holds out his hand again, but this time to shake. "My name is Liu."

"Kaito," he introduces himself and shakes his hand. "Say, you didn't see a one-eyed man and a blonde run past, did you?"

"Is this a joke?" Liu asks with a smile.

"No, honestly. It does sound a bit silly, though, I'll give you that."

"I saw a blonde woman with a gun. She ran into the one with all the luggage near the back of the boat."

"I think I'd like to find them," Kaito says, though he isn't entirely certain of what he expects to find.

"Perhaps we should split up," Liu suggests and Kaito agrees. "You start on this end, I will start in the back."

Kaito nods and Liu walks away. Kaito approaches a set of stairs and looks down them into the dark of the corridor. 'Time to get to the bottom of this boat,' he thinks to himself.

Before investigating further, Kaito takes out his invitation. Things are getting strange, so he decides to read it over one more time. The cloth scroll has hang-crafted symbols of his native kanji. 'You are cordially invited to participate in Mortal Kombat, the greatest tournament in all of the realms. The reward for the victor will be beyond measure.'

Along with instructions leading to the pier and the date and time to be there, that is all there is.

Well, except for a symbol of a dragon's head, coiling within a circle with its tongue snaking out from its mouth.

He looks at a wooden panel of the ship on the wall alongside him and sees the same symbol carved into the wood. Curious…

As he walks down the stairs, putting the invitation away, he finds himself in a dark hallway, with doors on either side and a lone door at the end. The rooms on both sides are either empty, have small beds, or are filled with barrels. Cautiously, Kaito peeks his head into each one, some only lit by moonlight streaming in through the window.

He opens up the door at the end, slowly walking through it, finding himself standing on a walkway that lines a large cargo room, currently empty and devoid of any boxes, crates or shipping materials. The room is actually quite large; Kaito thinks he may have underestimated the size of the ship when he first saw it pull up to the dock, perhaps because of the fog that had surrounded it.

Despite its empty nature, the room is well-lit by lanterns. The room seems built around the lower area, which almost appears to be some kind of… arena. The floor is not hard wood, but padded with a kind of reed-like covering. The circular ring has the same symbol of the dragon he's been seeing.

He is suddenly started when a voice reaches his ears from behind. "Curious, aren't we?"

Kaito turns around to see who his company is, finding a man stepping out of the shadows. He looks Chinese, with his hair pulled into a ponytail behind him, his face somewhat wrinkled. A closely-shaven goatee frames his mouth with a thin moustache. As he walks into the light, Kaito sees his dark leather coat, a jacket that reaches down to his feet, covered in strange red symbols he doesn't recognize. His arms are folded comfortably behind his back and he seems completely at ease.

"Welcome to my boat, Akayama Kaito," he says, surprising the young man with knowledge of his name.

"Your boat? You know my name, so you must be the one who set up this tournament, right?"

The man smiles, his thin lips stretching across his face a bit too widely. "Hm. No. I am not the one who orchestrates Mortal Kombat. I am merely one who helps organize it. I oversee it… along with others."

He faces Kaito fully and brings out his arms, placing a fist into an open palm before bowing in a traditional greeting. "I am called Shang Tsung and I am most pleased you could make it here." He straightens and looks Kaito in the eyes.

"Did you send me this?" he asks, taking out his invitation.

"As a matter of fact, I did," he replies. "I was not personally involved in the selection of all of the fighters, but I did push some in the right direction... such as yourself. You show much potential, and I am eager to taste your abilities."

"Taste?" Kaito says with narrow eyes.

He laughs. "A figure of speech. I help organize the tournament because I am a former champion."

Kaito steps back and reevaluates the man. If he is a former champion, that must make him a fairly decent fighter, despite appearances. Then again, most of his clothing conceals him—he could have the body of a warrior. He certainly carries himself with confidence and certainty.

"How do you know me?"

"I spend much of my time observing the great fighters of the world. I sent you that invitation to personally invite you to participate in Mortal Kombat because I had heard of the prowess of the Bloody Hands and wished to see it for myself."

After a moment, Kaito puts away the scroll. "Well, here I am."

"Indeed." He turns his head and looks down at the arena below. "What do you make of my arena? I often use it for practice during my many voyages." He lets his words hang in the air for a moment before adding, "Perhaps… you would like a taste of the tournament before our arrival, hm?"

The man has an interesting and somewhat dramatic manner of speaking, Kaito notices. He lets his words hang and he speaks low, but with an intensity behind them that puts him somewhat on edge. He's rather mysterious, but he thinks that perhaps he should play along to learn more.

"Is fighting early allowed? Better yet, can you give me a run-down on all the rules?"

"Mortal Kombat cannot begin until we are on my island, which is where this boat is headed. But I can arrange a short 'sparring match' of sorts if you would like. Feel free to refuse; my boat is my home and I wouldn't force my guests to do anything they didn't want to do." He holds up a hand, waiting for Kaito's answer.

"If I accept, is there a place to rest and relax afterwards?" Kaito asks.

"Indeed there is. You'll need a good rest, for tomorrow, we arrive just before noon."

Kaito folds his arms and thinks hard for a moment as Shang Tsung eagerly awaits his choice.

After some thought, Kaito gives him just that. "My style isn't very well suited to sparring, but I'm not one to turn down a request. First blood? First knockdown? What's the word, champion?" he asks, allowing himself a bit of a smug grin.

Shang smiles. "Wonderful."

He points to a staircase for Kaito to descend. The Bloody Hands fighter steps into the arena, but is confused when the other man doesn't follow. He looks up at him. "Aren't you coming down?"

Shang approaches the railing with his hands behind his back. "Oh, forgive me. I do not plan on fighting just yet myself, but this should prove entertaining..."

At a gesture of his forehead and a glance with his eyes, a door on Kaito's level opens and a man emerges. His face is covered in a red scarf and he wears a pair of very loose pants, with no shirt. He looks lean, but muscular and trained. This is the first person on the boat who Kaito assumes would be part of the crew. He looks at Kaito and bows before cracking his knuckles, back, shoulders and other various joints, going through a complex ritual of pre-fight stretches.

As Kaito does the same, he throws a few quick practice punches and kicks, showing a degree of quickness and training, but nothing amazingly impressive or something Kaito hasn't experienced before.

Shang Tsung leans over the railing and smiles once more as he looks down at the warriors, entertained already. "Let us begin. FIGHT!"

The man wastes no time and leaps at Kaito with a high flying kick! Kaito ducks under the man's kick, rolling forward. He gets some distance between him and his opponent, watching carefully as the man turns and prepares for another charge, shouting in an attempt to be intimidating, but Kaito isn't cowed so easily.

The man charges and leads with a similar kick once more. This time, Kaito manages to get ahold of the man's leg and throws him down to his right, but before he can counterattack, a sharp sweep from the man's leg causes Kaito to almost trip—he instead rolls backwards and gets back up on his feet as the man flips up onto his.

The masked man prepares a roundhouse, which Kaito ducks under before responding with a powerful uppercut to the jaw which knocks the man down. Kaito cracks his knuckles and waits for him to get back up, but as he does, he stumbles and crawls back a bit.

"Come on, that was only a love tap," Kaito says with a smile.

"Enough," Shang Tsung calls out, causing Kaito to stop. "I have seen enough to satisfy my curiosity for now."

"But that was just one punch," Kaito looks at the strange man, then back to his opponent, only to discover that the red-scarfed man is gone. Did he slip away when he wasn't looking?

"Get your rest for tonight," Shang's voice reaches his ears. "Tomorrow, we arrive at my island. Prepare yourself."

Now he is gone as well. Kaito's eyes dart around the room, searching for any sign of him, but he is gone, just as quickly and quietly. The surreal air in the room causes him to become rather disturbed, and so he slowly climbs the stairs and leaves the room in search of a bed.

As he steps out into the hallway, he finds himself face-to-face with another strange figure, a man with silver hair, clad entirely in white robes and simple wrappings around his arms and feet. He almost looks like a beggar, with a straw pointed hat hanging around his neck on his back.

"You should not have come," he says, "nor should you have fought. You are reckless." His voice is stern, with an air of superiority and judgment.

"I don't even know you," Kaito says defensively, backing away from the man with the silver hair. His pupils are dark and stare at Kaito with an unreadable expression.

"Be careful, Akayama Kaito," the man says, walking past him. "There is more going on than you know."

He closes the door behind him. Kaito follows after him to ask how he knows who he is, but upon opening the door to the ship's arena, he finds it empty, with no sign of the man.

'The hell is going on around here on this damn boat, anyway…' Kaito thinks to himself.

He closes the door and walks back into the hallway, opening up one of the cabins. The bed isn't anything special, but it's better than nothing. He crawls on it and uses his duffel bag as a pillow as he lays down and slowly listens to the sea outside and feels the gentle sway of the ship.

He wouldn't find much peace, however. The night is plagued with some kind of storm. Kaito finds it hard to sleep with all the noise outside—wind and thunder and lightning. Strangely enough, the vessel seems mostly unaffected by this, as it does not rock or have waves crash against it. Kaito is able to fall asleep despite the loud noises outside, dreaming of bolts of red lightning raining down from above, like in the stories his father used to tell him.

The next morning, his eyes shoot open and he arises to the sounds of many footsteps on the deck above. Climbing out of bed and picking up his duffle, he heads out of the cabin and onto the deck above. On top, he sees many of the fighters standing on one side of the ship. He joins them to look out upon a massive island, with many tall mountains, covered in exotic trees.

"What island is that? I've never seen it before!" someone in the group asks, but nobody has an answer. Kaito looks over and spies Liu standing next to Johnny Cage and the blonde woman, but there is no sign of Kano. Perhaps he escaped, or is still hiding somewhere on the boat.

From the island shore, a line of smaller boats rowed by hooded figures nears the boat and everyone lowers themselves down into one, including Kaito. He sits with several other participants, and once the rowboat is full, it begins to bring them all closer to the island.

'So, this place belongs to Shang Tsung?' Kaito thinks to himself. 'I've never heard of an island owned by one man before. Not one this big, anyway. He must be rich.' The other fighters on the boat talk amongst themselves, but the hooded figures are all silent as they go about their task.

They stop not far from the shore. Everyone steps out and walks onto the beach, and Kaito can't help but feel a bit excited in a way. The strange, exotic nature of the location he's in makes him feel as though something truly grand is in the works. What kind of tournament is held here, he wonders?

Once ashore, he sees his fellow fighters following a path of flags, each bearing the dragon symbol, along with other strange characters of a language he doesn't understand. He follows them in turn and walks past a wooden podium. There, a scribe with a feather and quill is writing in a large book, making down the names of those who disembark from the ship. Kaito notices his lips are sewn shut and his eyes widen a bit.

Nearby, Johnny Cage falls in the water attempting to step off with all of his luggage; a wave carries some of the bags away and out to sea as the actor tries to grab at them. He's down to four. Kaito doubts that he has enough money on hand to pay him for retrieving all of them. The path the flags line leads up to a large staircase that goes up into the mountains. Of course, Kaito isn't entirely obligated to follow the path...

Reasoning that nobody would mind if he explores for a bit, Kaito walks off the path and into the forest, finding a stone walkway nearby that twists and winds into the thick canopy. It follows a river that flows off from one of the mountains.

As Kaito walks, he looks at the flowers and other flora of the island, his inner sense of wanderlust enjoying the sights around him. He comes to a fork in the path and decides to go right, following the river some more. This leads to a garden, where the path opens up and becomes more like a road of paved stone.

Kaito explores the garden, discovering rows of exotic flowers, whose vines stretch across wooden and stone fences. He also comes upon statues. These statues depict warriors from many different times and places; he sees a Roman legionnaire, an Aztec tribal, a Zulu warrior and one that resembles a samurai. As he explores further, he finds statues that are fantastic in nature; a centaur, a minotaur, a strange monster with large spikes emerging from its arms, and perhaps the strangest of all, he finds a statue of a large, four-armed man, all of his arms raised in triumphant victory, with a foot on a stone corpse of what appears to be a monk.

He takes some time to admire the creativity and artistry of the works. Kaito moves through the garden and finds a stone staircase that leads up onto a mountain. Thinking he could get a better view from there, he begins to ascend the steps, scaling the stairs as they run up the side of the mountain. He comes to a stone passageway carved into the mountainside and enters the curving tunnel within, ending up on one side of a large stone bridge that stretches between this mountain and another, held aloft by large columns of stone.

As he begins to cross the bridge, he decides to steal a glance down and is shocked by what he sees. The wonderment he felt at exploring the exotic island is quickly turned to worry as he sees that the pit this bridge spans is lined with massive bladed spikes, some of which feature skeletal remains of those who clearly fell, or were thrown from the very bridge on which he stands. Suddenly, Kaito feels very nervous about being here, feeling a bit of a chill running through him as he glimpses the mortality he might very well be facing if he remains on this island.

'Maybe I should go back to the boat,' he thinks to himself.

"Hey! You!" a voice calls out. He looks up and sees a masked man approaching from the opposite end of the bridge. He wears brown robes and his mask resembles a fox, half white and half black. In his hands is a pole arm, a guandao, pointed right at him. The man, clearly some kind of guard or enforcer, speaks again. "You are not meant to be here! The new arrivals are to be received by Shang Tsung in the main hall for a feast! You will follow me or else!"

'He definitely seems like he means business,' Kaito thinks, wondering if he should cooperate, fight or run.

Kaito holds up his hands. "Hey, I just got a little lost, I apologize," he lies.

"Come now!" the man orders, raising his pole arm to hold it parallel to his body. He steps aside and points in the direction he came from, the other side of the bridge.

Kaito nods and walks in front of him, keeping his distance from the man and his weapon. Once on the other side, the guard takes Kaito to a large building up in the mountains, with high, traditional-looking rooftops and ancient statues all about, similar to the ones he saw down in the valley below. The architecture of the building itself resembles Chinese or Japanese origin, or perhaps is something vaguely similar to both. Within its central hall, he finds that he is a bit late, as the festivities have already begun.

The fighters from the boat all sit at large, wooden tables, eating from large platters of food. As Kaito enters, nobody pays him any attention as he finds an empty spot and sits down, taking in the atmosphere. He notices Johnny, Liu and the blonde girl sitting with each other, but there are no empty spaces at their table. Still, the food smells amazing and the pitchers are full of wine.

Robed servants move between the tables and refresh the pitchers, picking up empty plates and bringing more courses. Fish, pork, beef and more are here to be had aplenty. It's all quite magnificent; he feels as though he and the others are being treated like royalty. Kaito eats heartily as jokes and general amusement abound throughout the room.

About halfway through the meal, the robed figures who were moving to and fro carrying platters of new courses all suddenly stop and leave the main floor. Slowly, everyone grows quiet as a new figure enters and takes his place in front of a large ornate throne at the head of the room: Shang Tsung. For a moment, he stands silently, observing them all as they stare up at him.

With a nod of his head to one side, He nods, the sides of the room are suddenly lined with masked men, similar to the one Kaito briefly fought on his ship, as they walk in from chambers in the corners of the room. They surround the fighters at the tables and all of them face their master Shang Tsung.

They all grunt at once and stand at the ready, facing inwards.

"Welcome," Shang Tsung speaks to all. "You are here to compete in Mortal Kombat. Tomorrow morning, the great kombat begins. Some of you will even have the distinct honor... and pleasure... to face Prince Goro, our reigning champion." As before, he lets the words hang in the air for a moment before continuing. "You are all witnesses to one of the great turning points in the history of your planet. Treasure these moments... as if they were your last."

Kaito swallows a bite of food and looks suspiciously at the man. 'Turning points in the history of our planet?' he thinks. 'What, is he an alien?'

Shang Tsung's chin raises slightly as he says, "And now, for a taste of things to come."

He nods again and a gong rings. The masked men flanking the tables suddenly flood the floor and begin pushing everyone out of their seats, including Kaito. They begin to life and throw the tables down, knocking the food and drink onto the floor despite everyone protesting until a space at its center is cleared. They push everyone to the sides of the room and clear the center of the room for a demonstration.

There, two people walk forward to oppose each other while everyone looks on and watches. One of them is merely one of the mooks with red scarves on his head, but the other is different, distinct. He looks like a ninja, wearing a black bodysuit with a blue vest-like outfit over it. The lower half of his face is obscured by a blue mask, and he wears blue gauntlets and leg guards. Beneath his belt hangs a blue sash.

The man opposing the blue ninja-like figure bows, and the ninja does the same. Kaito peers over the head of one of the red-scarf warriors to watch as his brother goes through a series of warm-up stretches, cracking his knuckles, back and neck. Kaito then realizes that it's the same man he fought on the boat!

The man prepares to fight as the blue warrior stands his ground and holds his pose, feet spread apart and hands up at the ready. The mook then begins punching and kicking, just like he did before fighting Kaito, calling out a challenge, and still his opponent holds his stance.

When the blue warrior does nothing still, the man runs and leaps into a jump-kick, again, much like his match with Kaito. As he does this, the blue ninja's hand suddenly glows with a strange power and a sound like a cold gust of frosting wind is heard throughout the chamber as everyone looks on. Kaito's eyes widen as a bright sphere of ice emerges from the blue warrior's hand and flies towards his opponent, hitting him mid-air. The ninja moves out of the way of the quickly-freezing opponent, who crashes into the ground just beneath Shang Tsung's feet, shattering into frozen pieces of gore.

His head falls before Shang Tsung, who smiles and looks up.

He announces to the crowd, "Flawless victory."

Without another word, he turns to leave and the warriors, along with the strange blue ninja, do as well, leaving behind a stunned audience of people realizing just how dangerous the situation they are in truly is. Kaito can hardly believe what he has just seen—surely it was some kind of trick? The man isn't truly dead, is he?

He looks over at the frozen head, his eyes perpetually wide open in surprise and fear.

No... It's not a trick. The man is dead, and bits of his shattered, frozen body now litter the floor, only to be swept away by a hooded servant with a straw broom, as if he were nothing but garbage.

Kaito quickly excuses himself from the room and ducks behind a pillar.

'Oh man, I'm in deep now,' he thinks to himself. 'What kind of power must that man possess to actually be able to freeze people? What else is in this place?' His heart pounds in his chest as he tries to think about what's going to happen next. Shang Tsung said that the fighting doesn't begin until tomorrow, so that means he has some time.

He decides that sleep would perhaps be the best course of action. Upon leaving the room, he finds his way to the lavish quest quarters and secures himself an empty room. Much like the rest of the palace, the decorations are made for extreme comfort, but he can't help but be continually on edge. People falling on spikes, people being frozen to death, what's next? He paces around the room a bit, his feet sinking into the lush red carpet beneath him. He approaches the door and locks it, moving a golden bolt into position to seal the door.

He knows something terrible is happening on this island. This is clearly a death tournament and the location doesn't help. He's never heard of nor seen this island before, so it must be in international waters, which means he can't expect to easily get off or get help from the outside. With no friends here, the only person he's got to rely on here is himself.

'If only Kenshi were here,' Kaito thinks to himself. 'Then I'd have someone I could trust to watch my back.'

The rest of the evening is spent here in his room, preparing himself for whatever he may face tomorrow. He stretches, does push-ups and mentally readies himself for anything that may come. In some ways, with the high quality of the room and food he's been given, he almost feels like a prisoner given his final meal and last comforts. He's determined to not die in this place: no matter what, he's getting off this island. He only hopes he doesn't have to kill to make it happen, his thoughts straying to the strange and ominous presence he has always been fearful of.

Escape is a thought. But Kaito can't help but want to stay and dig deeper into the mystery this place offers. Both Shang Tsung and that strange man in white knew who he was, but he had never met either of them before. And the man who possessed the power to freeze his opponents… If he left now, he may never get a chance to learn what is truly going on. There's something supernatural at work here, as impossible as it may seem, and Kaito wants to get down to the bottom of it. All his life he's been searching for something to fight for, and if he turns his back on this tournament, he may never find it.

When the time comes for rest, he crawls into the extremely comfortable bed and rests, but despite the extravagant sheets and pillows, his dreams are riddled with images of death, with scenes playing in his mind of himself falling onto the metal spikes at the bottom of the pit and being the one in place of the frozen man. As the warriors in the tournament in his dream all die, their blood washes into a great gutter and spills forth into the sea, turning it red. As this sea becomes crimson, a single red lightning bolt pierces the heavens and crashes into the water, waking him up.

There is a knock at the door. Kaito climbs out of bed and unlocks it, discovering a robed man on the other side, his face hidden by his hood.

"The time has come for Mortal Kombat. You are to follow me to your first opponent. Gather only what you need."

With no further words, Kaito closes the door and begins to get dressed, and for a moment, briefly considers escaping through the window or sneaking away from the man at the first opportunity. But where would he go? Perhaps he should just face it and get it over with.

Deciding against anything rash, and going with his previous decision to explore the mystery of this place further, Kaito accompanies the man, who leads him out of the island palace. He notices that many others are being led out as well. He is taken outside and down a pathway he hasn't seen before, a stone staircase that runs down the mountain. This path opens up to a wide stone platform that eventually merges into a beach on the other side of the island where flags and occasional straw huts can be seen up and down the coast.

Once here, he is led to a circle of stones and flags that make up a sandy arena, with the flag poles defining its boundaries. Two other hooded figures are here, looking on from the sidelines, apparently to monitor the fight.

A woman is in the middle of the ring, flexing and waiting. She wears the light garb of an MMA fighter and has a headband wrapped around her forehead. Her top and the stripes along her shorts are both a bright pink-maroon color, and she wears a headband of a matching color. He notices that she has wrappings around her arms and thinks he should do the same. Kaito drops his duffle bag and rifles through it for a moment, taking out some tape that he begins to wrap around his fists. He makes brief eye contact with her as he does so; she patiently waits for him to finish while she continues to stretch.

Kaito pauses another moment before taking something else out of his bag: a white headband with the red rising sun on it. Though a bit goofy, he decides to wrap it around his head and wear it. He stands up and enters the ring proper.

As he does, she smiles and holds out a wrapped hand. "Kathy Long," she introduces herself. "Ready to fight?"

Kaito shakes her hand and sheds his shoes at the last moment, finally ready for the match.

"I gotta warn ya, I won't go easy," she says as she clenches her hands into fists.

"I hope not, wouldn't be nearly as fun," Kaito replies with a cocky grin. He has to admit, he feels a bit better about his current predicament with how pleasant his opponent is. She seems a very upbeat, almost noble person. If time and the situation had permitted otherwise, he'd have liked to know her better.

One of the monks steps forward.

"Our lord and master, the eternal Shang Tsung, is busy with other matters and other matches. In his stead, we three shall observe this round of Mortal Kombat. First to submission wins."

Kaito and Kathy both bow to each other and square away as the hooded figure calls out, "FIGHT!"

He opens up by closing the distance, set on finishing the fight as quickly as he can by going on the offensive with a flurry of punches. Kathy steps back and blocks each one before delivering a kick to his chest and then performing a takedown with a sweep of her other leg, tripping him. His back hits the sand and Kathy gets in a mount position on top of him, ready to rain blows down on his face.

Putting his arms up, Kaito blocks his face like he has been trained and pushes upwards with his legs and hips to get her off, bucking her to this side. He breaks out of her guard and backs up, but sees an opportunity to attack before she can get fully on her feet. A solid kick from Kaito in the ribs forces Kathy back down onto the ground. From his superior position, he is able to attack her a few more times with a few punches and kicks, keeping her down, breaking through her capable, but not flawless, defenses.

It's clear to Kaito that she's had a good amount of training, but little in the way of a no-holds-barred match. In this respect, the vicious nature of his attacks allows him the upper hand.

When she tries the same tripping maneuver as before, Kaito remembers and dodges by leaping backwards. Before she can get back up, he's on her again, knocking aside her defenses and landing a solid punch in her face which stuns her.

She lays there, groaning slightly as Kaito stands over her, breathing heavily. She tries to push herself back up, but falls down, beaten.

One of the robed figures calls out, "Enough. She is clearly beaten. FINISH HER!"

He looks up at the man, bewildered. "Finish her? As in..."

"Finish her and win Mortal Kombat!"

Kaito has never had to kill before. In the past, he has felt guilt over brutalizing opponents. At first, he feels the need to deny such a request—she fought well enough, why kill her? But then again, perhaps in a place like this, it's kill or be killed. Could he afford to show mercy while trapped on an island of potential killers and madmen in a blood tournament like this? He looks back down at her as her gaze meets his, uncertain and fearful.

Kaito steps back from the nearly-unconscious Kathy and shakes his head. "I'll not kill her, but you're more than welcome to try to make me," he says, holding his fists up to the three hooded figures.

They stand still for a moment and then the one in the center speaks.

"So be it. She must return to the boat; she has been eliminated from the tournament. You, Akayama Kaito, will advance to the next round. Your next opponent awaits in the forest. Face him when you are prepared." He points to a nearby path that leads into the jungle.

They disperse then, heading back up the mountain trail, not sparing a single look back.

Kathy shakes her head and rubs her forehead as Kaito offers a hand up. "Thanks," she says as she gets back up on her feet. "For, you know, not killing me."

"Murder wasn't exactly on my list of things to do today," he replies. "But something tells me that there'll be blood before all this is through."

"Can't believe they wanted you to kill me… This place isn't for me," she admits. "You're going to stay on the island? Even after they told you to kill?"

"There's something about this place... I think it's important that I stay here for now. Too many mysteries."

She nods. "Well, take care of yourself. Thanks again. I won't forget this. Maybe we'll meet each other again?"

"Maybe," Kaito says and returns her smile. They shake hands once more and part ways afterwards, with Kathy heading back towards the boat. He watches her go before turning back to the path the robed figure had indicated.

Kaito looks up the trail, seeing nobody, but can't shake the feeling that everywhere he goes, he is being watched. This island has many eyes, and he doesn't believe all of them are natural.

'The forest, eh...' he thinks to himself. 'Let's see what comes next…'

Following the trail upwards, Kaito finds that it connects to the path that he took yesterday, but this time he takes the alternate fork in the path, one that leads into the deeper part of the forest. The forest itself doesn't seem fully natural, with all of its trees planted in perfect rows, equally distant from each other. Someone put a lot of time and attention to this forest.

Following a path of gravel, he approaches a large tower that rises from the forest floor. The temple is similar to the palace in architectural style, with many flowing rooftops and grand windows of varying colors, and of course, a large symbol of the coiling dragon that he's become very familiar with recently.

'These guys are great with their logo branding,' he thinks to himself as he approaches the tower. The front door is locked, however, with a large golden dragon whose mouth serves as a keyhole.

"You'll go no further, Earthrealmer," a voice calls out from behind.

Kaito turns quickly to see a man approaching. He wears orange and red armor and carries a large, thin sword over one shoulder. His face is masked like a Kendo practitioner, with metal lines offering only the barest hint of what he looks like underneath. As Kaito observes him and notes his traditional-styled armor, he spies something else: around his neck is a key.

"Earth-what?" Kaito asks.

The man stops and unsheathes his massive sword—resembling an ōdachi—and stands his ground. "I challenge you to Mortal Kombat!" he says as he brandishes the weapon.

"You have a sword!" Kaito protests.

"And soon, I'll have your life," his opponent retorts. "FOR OUTWORLD!" As he makes his war cry, he charges!

But this isn't Kaito's first time fighting someone with a weapon. The man runs forward and attempts to hack Kaito in half with a single clean swipe. Anticipating the maneuver, Kaito uses his speed to duck under the attack and trip him with a well-timed and aimed punch to the shins. The man eats dirt as his mask hits the forest floor.

Not missing a beat, Kaito quickly turns and kicks the sword out of the man's hands. It skids away in the dirt, falling just beneath one of the trees. He turns and kicks the man over, now standing between him and his weapon. Kaito's opponent gets up and grunts as he holds up his fists.

"Young fool, I was willing to quickly cut you down before... now you die slowly, by my own hands!"

Kaito's opponent reacts more quickly than he had anticipated as he goes in with a leading punch aimed at the stranger's mask. He catches Kaito's first punch and delivers a resounding open-palm smash to the face. Kaito reels backwards a bit and is kicked in the chest.

Next, he blocks the sword-wielder's two punches but this leaves him open and takes a rising knee to the chest. A spin coupled with a backwards elbow to the side of the head knocks Kaito down. Before he can get back up, the armored warrior lifts his leg up high and brings it down on Kaito's back, causing him to let out a shout of pain as the foot connects with his spine.

"Prepare to meet your death!" the man shouts, preparing to bring his fist down on Kaito's head.

Knowing that his life is on the line, Kaito responds with a quick and furious twist that brings his legs underneath the man, tripping him with a powerful kick. Kaito leaps up to his feet as part of the same maneuver and rushes over his opponent, getting on top of him as his face is in the dirt, quickly taking hold of his leg and holding it up high.

With an open palm and all of the strength he can muster, he slams his hand onto the knee and shatters it, hobbling the man. The warrior cries out in pain and tries to escape his grab, But Kaito merely twists the leg, adding onto the pain. He has the man properly subdued now, though the adrenaline from the fight is still surging through him.

"Good. Finish him," a voice, distinctly feminine, echoes out around him.

"Who is that? Who's there?!" he calls out, still holding onto the man's leg.

"He would show you no mercy. His death is a victory for your realm."

"What realm? What are you talking about?"

As Kaito looks around, the man reaches for his sword and manages to get a hand on it. He swings, which Kaito notices only a second before death would have followed. He legs go of the leg and rolls away, dodging the weakened swipe. The man attempts to stand but cannot; Kaito knocks him back down again with a single kick and picks up the large sword for himself.

The man coughs behind his mask. "I am beaten... Finish me, you vermin!"

Kaito looks down at the sword and wonders if he should. That feminine voice told him to as well… but he's no puppet of theirs.

Kaito drops the sword to his side and scoffs. He speaks to both the man and the mysterious voice from the forest around him. "I'm getting tired of being told to kill people today. If I want to kill someone, it'll be on MY terms, nobody else's."

He leans down and takes the key off of the man's neck, tearing the cord. "I'll be taking this, though," he says.

As the man hobbles away, using his sheathed sword like a cane, Kaito looks around. "Alright Lady, where are you? Show yourself!"

"I'm right behind you," she says, surprising him.

He whips around, ready to fight and growing increasingly agitated at all the damn people sneaking up behind him, and finds a woman in a dark blue dress. Her beauty is stunning, to say the least, with piercing dark eyes and a beautifully elegant face. She has strong, yet feminine features, with light skin and distinct, full lips. He can't place her nationality—she seems oriental, but there's something otherworldly about her, a strange exotic and dangerous quality that only serves to heighten the mystery and allure surrounding her.

The dress is very nice, too, hugging her form tightly and showing her lithe body and generous bust. Kaito swallows a bit as he attempts not to stare.

"I am glad you did not kill him. I wanted to see if you would." Her words are measured, spoken with poise and a kind of regality.

"Well... happy to not disappoint, I suppose. Who are you?"

"For now, names matter little. What matters is that I am forbidden from entering the temple you now possess the key to by sorcerous wards."

Kaito looks at the key, then cocks an eyebrow at her. "Sorcery? Really? Come on, now."

She doesn't drop her serious tone. "You will find that there are a great many strange things about this place, but sorcery is one of the least strange of all. The tower has three floors, and atop it is something I desire, but cannot reach myself. Each floor presents a different challenge."

"And let me guess, you'd like me to get it for you?"

"I would not dream to ask such a thing of you without a reward," she says with a sly smile.

Kaito watches as she walks gracefully up to the door and places a hand on the dragon's head. "The object I seek is a necklace, forged of beautiful silver, with a gleaming sapphire pendant embedded within it. It was stolen from me and I would very much desire its return."

"And should I agree... what would my 'reward' be?" he asks with raised eyebrows.

She smiles. "I have the power and wealth to grant a great many things. Surely you can think of something I can accommodate." Before he can reply, she continues, "I will be in the palace when you are done. Beware, the challenges within the tower will test you unlike anything else you have faced. You will have to rely on your might, your sight, and your luck."

Kaito looks down at the key. "And if I don't go into the tower, what do I—"

But when he looks up, she is gone. A sudden gust of wind rustles the trees slightly. He turns, looking all around, but there is no sign of her.

'Lotta that going on lately...' he thinks to himself, feeling the key in his hands. He looks at the door once again and the dragon keyhole, weighing the pros and cons of going inside.

Kaito shrugs and decides that the challenge and prospect of adventure is too great to pass up. That last fight was good, but a true challenge would be even more interesting. And after all, he did say he wanted to explore more of the island and the mystery, didn't he? And the woman is quite mysterious too, so getting to see more of her certainly wouldn't be a bad thing. Inserting the key in the dragon's mouth and turning, the dragon's mouth snaps shut, almost taking his hand with it. He yanks his hand back in surprise.

The door opens by itself, revealing a dark, candle-lit room beyond. Kaito steps within and the doors slam behind him, as if compelled by some strange force, for he is alone in the room.

"Great..." he mutters to himself. "Now what?"

"You should not be here..." a whispering voice reaches his ears. At least, he thought he was alone in the room.

"I've been getting that feeling ever since I arrived on this island," Kaito calls out to the shadows. "Step into the light. I don't bite."

A hooded man, much like many of the others Kaito has seen so far, emerges. "You wish to reach the top of this sanctum? You know not what lies ahead. Are you prepared?"

"As I'll ever be," Kaito replies with a shrug. "What do you got?"

The man waves a hand and three tapestries fall down from the walls, revealing three mirrors behind them.

"One of these mirrors conceals the way forward; the other two are traps. You must choose wisely."

The figure steps into the shadows as Kaito looks at one of the mirrors. The young man guesses that he is gone when he turns around, and upon doing so, discovers that he is correct. "Gee, how did I guess that one?" he sighs.

He turns his attention back to the riddle at hand. One mirror has a blue and green symbol above it, two circles, with the green being larger. Another has a purple symbol, with a kind of windmill-looking shape within it. The third is familiar; that of the Yin-Yang symbol. But which one to choose?

He remembers something his father told him once on their travels in this youth: 'A true warrior uses his mind just as much as he uses his body!' If there are indeed traps, and Kaito wouldn't put it beyond this island to have such things, he'd be dumb to rush in half-cocked, and so he carefully edges closer to look at the mirrors.

Upon further investigation, each mirror also features writing around its edges. Kaito doesn't understand the strange, blocky letters, but one thing he does notice is that one of them does not match the other two. This is the Yin-Yang mirror. Could it be the way forward?

Investigating even further, Kaito picks up a candle from nearby and holds it up to various parts of the mirror. He notices that one of the three, specifically one of the two with matching writing, specifically the one with the green and blue symbol, has a small amount of blood on the floor in front of it.

He looks into the mirror with the Yin-Yang symbol above it. As he does so, something seems to jump out to his eyes in the reflection. He turns his body and sees that the mirror reflects a relief on the opposite wall, that of the dragon symbol. Something about it seems to radiate within the reflection of the mirror…

Kaito approaches the dragon relief on the wall and considers it more closely. He notices that it greatly resembles the many dragon symbols he has seen since his arrival, but what differs about this one is that at its center there is what appears to be a handle, cleverly hidden to look like part of the carving.

Kaito tests it by gripping it, pushing and turning. He hears a sound not unlike gears turning behind the wall. Suddenly, a great crashing sound is heard as the two mirrors with the stranger symbols explode outwards as spikes from a hidden trap pierce them from the other side.

Hanging on one of these spikes is a man's skeleton, clearly one who made the wrong choice. With the floor now covered in glass shards, Kaito approaches the Yin-Yang mirror and breaks it with his fist. It reveals a stairway which he ascends, confident that he solved the trap by springing its hidden release mechanism. He sees light up ahead as he makes it to the second level.

This floor is much more brightly lit, as windows allow the afternoon sun to bleed within, creating a myriad of colors that mix on the floor and walls. There is no hint of any hooded figures here, but there are coffins. Three of them, to be exact, standing up against the walls, all facing the center of the circular room.

Kaito can see the way forward, but the stairway to the third and final floor is barred by a metal gate with no handle. There does not seem to be any apparent hint of what he must do; more investigation is required. He moves in closer to look at these sarcophagi.

Each coffin is wrought of solid stone slabs, but each is unique in the relief carved upon its face: one is human, looking peaceful and serene. The other is of a skeleton, whose spooky face features a wide open jaw. The third is unlike any Kaito has ever seen, with a strange, monstrous face and a mouth full of teeth, with small tusks protruding from the cheeks of the creature.

Each coffin seems like it could open, and each is covered with a thick layer of dust.

The tests the woman spoke of... testing might, sight and luck.

The test downstairs was not so much luck, as there were clues to those who looked hard enough. It must have been sight, then.

But upon investigating this room further and spending several minutes searching, there does not seem to be any hint or indication as to which coffin must be chosen. Perhaps this is the test of luck, then?

Kaito examines the skeleton coffin and begins to slowly slide it open. Upon doing so, a skeletal hand lunges out and attempts to grab him, animated as if alive!

With a force unlike that which a skeleton would normally seem to possess, it pushes its way out of the coffin and pushes Kaito out of the way as well. Its boney feet clatter along the ground as its teeth scrape against each other. It looks at Kaito and raises its hands as if in a martial fighting stance.

"You gotta be kidding me!" Kaito grunts as he scrambles up to his feet, attempting to justify what he is experiencing. "This is a trick. It's a trick!"

The skeleton's teeth chatter as it leaps to perform a high kick!

Kaito reacts swiftly with a strong punch to the skeleton's head. This knocks it cleanly off and the body lurches backwards, but does not fully fall. Instead, with the head still rolling around on the ground, it continues coming after Kaito!

Its strikes are quick and sharp, like those of the Crane style, but the body lacks the weight of a human opponent. Kaito is able to deflect the attacks and get some distance between himself and it.

Kaito blocks each attack deftly with learned skill, waiting for his moment to strike. When the skeleton leaves itself open during one of its strikes, the human reaches up its arm, taking hold of the humerus bone. With his other hand on its shoulder, he tears it out of the socket, then uses it to bash the skeleton in the back.

With the skeleton on the ground, he leaps up and stomps both feet on its back, shattering it. The limbs go limp and the skeleton disintegrates on the spot into dust, including the arm in Kaito's fingers. He watches the dust spill out of his hand and onto the floor.

The words of the woman echo in his mind: "You will find that there is are a great many things about this place, and that sorcery is one of the least strange."

'I guess she was right after all…' he thinks. He looks back at the now-empty coffin and finds nothing inside of it other than dust. Two coffins remain: that of the human face and that of the monstrous face.

Kaito decides that it's better the devil he knows, and approaches the human-faced coffin. Opening it cautiously reveals it to be empty, at first. Upon closer inspection, however, he discovers a level inside.

Fully opening it by pulling the stone slab aside, he reaches in and pulls the level down. The pathway to the next level opens with the metal gate sliding up into the wall and he breathes a sigh of relief. He is glad to not have to fight another opponent; whatever is inside that other coffin is something he could do without.

He climbs the stairs, finding himself upon the final level. Upon reaching the top, he discovers the topmost floor to be not unlike a study or a personal library, with strange books lining old shelves, a table with bottles and mixtures and strange-looking ingredients and other odd decorations that line the walls.

At its heart, however, lies a book, with the dragon symbol on the cover. Kaito feels a strong pull towards the book, to search within its pages and see what is inside...

Kaito decides to ignore the book on the pedestal for now and instead concentrates on finding the amulet the woman sent him in to find. Silver with a sapphire, he remembers well her words. Opening small boxes and looking on the shelves yields no positive results, until he notices high up on the shelf a small jewelry box. Reaching up high, he can just hook a finger on its corner and pull it off.

He opens it, discovering a beautiful necklace inside, one that can be nothing but the one that the woman seeks. Its surface sparkles and the inside of the blue gem seems to swirl with a curious ethereal quality that he cannot help but be mesmerized by.

Pocketing it quickly lest he take too long, he looks around. He could leave immediately, or take a deeper look at some of the books here.

Deciding that a quick glance couldn't hurt, he takes a moment to look at the shelves. Many books, scrolls and texts line the walls, each of them strange and arcane. Most are written in a language Kaito cannot comprehend. One of these books, however, bears a title written in traditional kanji. He also notices a distinct potion on the table, one that appears to be complete; the liquid within the bottle glows with a red color, left out on a table in the middle of what appears to be an alchemical station. Finally, on one of the walls, he notices a pair of gauntlets that resemble ancient brass knuckles. They would fit over his fingers and have small spike-like studs on them, which would make his punches sting a bit more.

Suddenly, Kaito hears footsteps coming up the stairs. What does he grab before anyone can stop him? The dragon book would be too obvious, but he would be able to hide any of the other three on his person. He quickly thinks it over as the steps grow louder.

Kaito quickly grabs the book and hides it on his person. He prepares to run past whomever it is coming up the stairs, only to discover that it is Shang Tsung, who appears in the doorway and immediately sees him.

The man looks at Kaito with a mixture of surprise and amusement. "Akayama Kaito. I did not expect you to be the one I caught atop my tower."

"Wasn't I the one invited here in the first place? I was told my opponent was the man with the key to this tower, after all."

"Yes, but you weren't the only one told that. It seems you were the only one to survive, however. Or perhaps the others simply became... lost on their way here."

He smiles and walks around the chamber. Kaito keeps his front to the man, continually turning to face him. "One of my personal studies. Perhaps you would enjoy a tour?"

Feeling the book in his side, he says, "No thanks, I should be going..."

The man looks at Kaito with a mixture of suspicion. "Yes... you've more opponents to face. You've done rather well for yourself, so far... having beaten my tower's three challenges."

"There was just the two," Kaito says.

One of Tsung's brows shoots up. "Ah..." he says as if in remembrance, "of course. I forgot to let my watchdog out of his cage this morning." He snaps a finger.

"And just what is that supposed to mean, exactly?"

"Just that you aren't quite done yet... I would suggest running. He's rather hungry, I imagine."

Now on the other side of the room and near the exit, with him on the other side, Kaito spares the man one final glance before he takes off down the stairs, eager to be done with the mysterious figure. He glides down the stairs and once on the bottom floor he finds the doors open and he runs outside. The doors slam shut behind him, locking him out of the tower.

He looks around, but sees nothing and no one. But he hears something growling and it greatly unnerves him. As he runs off into the forest back the way he came, he can hear panting that is not his own growing louder and louder. Kaito turns to see nobody there.

Suddenly, a figure leaps down from a nearby tree, using its branch to swing and kick Kaito down to the ground by planting both feet on his chest. Kaito looks up and his eyes widen at the apparently inhuman beast before him.

His skin is a muddy tan, muscular and bulging in some places, with a ridged forehead with small spikes or quills for hair. But his face and arms are the most inhuman of all: his mouth is wide, much wider than a normal man's, with a grin of needle-like teeth and glowing orange eyes to accompany them. His nostrils are flared wide with a metal ring piercing hanging between them.

His arms are covered in boney protrusions, the largest of which he demonstrates to the frightened human have the ability to extend out of his forearms into long, three-foot blades that come to a sharp point. His scarred body is covered by leather straps, buckles and white baggy pants with a leather belt and cloth.

The monster drools as he stares at him, thick saliva sliding off his sharp, piranha-like mouth. Kaito's mind races as he attempts to make sense of what he is seeing, but for the life of him, all he can think is that he is facing a true demon. He realizes that one of the statues in the garden depicted a monster like this one.

"I will feast on your flesh!" he speaks in a rough, violent tone. "My blades with pierce your heart!"

He quickly rubs them together, which creates sparks as they clash. The creature roars in bloody fury as Kaito gets up on his feet, not believing his eyes at the sight of the demon in front of him. It doesn't seem like he has much of a choice, however, and puts up his hands defensively as he prepares to fight for his life against the 'watchdog.'

Kaito goes in hard and fast, trying to control his opponent's arms. The monster has great strength, however, and surprises him by whipping him aside with a single thrust. Before Kaito can get up on his feet, the monster leaps forward and kicks him on the ground, making him roll away, his vision blurred for a moment by the monster's boot hitting his face.

As Kaito attempts to get up, the blades emerge from his forearms again, followed by a lunge at him. One stabs him in the left arm and the other misses as he flies past the human. Kaito falls back, trying to get some distance, but the monster is utterly relentless and ruthless, getting back up and hounding him every step of the way, clawing and swinging at him with furious, animalistic attacks. His style is brutish, but effective. Kaito leaps aside, holding his bleeding arm as the beast chops cleanly through one of the trees. The upper half falls to the ground behind him.

A long tongue emerges from behind his teeth, which drags along the blade that ends in Kaito's blood. "I've tasted better..." he taunts. "Perhaps your heart will be tastier!"

The monster lunges forward and attempts to skewer Kaito once more. Deciding to attack him head-on, Kaito meets the charge of the beast and is impaled through the chest by both blades, one through his right breast and the other just above his stomach. Kaito gasps for air as his mortality begins to bleed away from him.

The creature snarls and grins wider. "When you reach hell, tell them that it was Tortek who feasted on your dead body!" It laughs as it lifts him up high, causing the panicking and dying human to slide down the blades, his legs twitching as his eyes go wide. He feels himself slipping from consciousness, the last thing he ever sees is the face of the monster.

Tortek opens his jaw wide, ready to bite into Kaito's face, when a blue razor whips across his back, causing his blades to retract and him to stumble forward as Kaito falls. He trips over Kaito's body, the human's life force fast fading, but in these final moment, the human is quickly swept up in a gust of wind and transported elsewhere. To Kaito, it seems as though he is falling down a long, dark tunnel into an abyss from which there is no escape.

"Not yet... Not yet..." a soothing and calm voice speaks to him. "This is not your time..."

Kaito falls into a deep sleep, feeling a warmth and calm unlike that which he has ever felt before. In the distance, he can hear the angered howl of the beast that tried to kill him. Tortek, denied his kill, roars into the sky, but his concerns are far behind Kaito, who slips into a darkness unlike any he's ever experienced. He falls, but is caught, held on by the thinnest of strands and slowly, but surely pulled back towards the light.

He is not to die on this day. And somewhere, deep in the recesses of his mind, he can hear the crackling of thunder and experiences visions of red lightning dancing across a blackened sky. He sees a mountain, tall and powerful, struck by a bolt of red and split in half. The stones crumble, the mountain falls and all becomes dark once more.

He opens his eyes to behold a beautiful woman.

* * *

 **The introductory thread was the first quest thread I ran on 4chan. I didn't quite know what I was getting into or what I was doing at the time, and it took me a while to hit my stride, so I based the entirety of the beginning of the quest on the Mortal Kombat film, combining it with elements from MK9's MK1 arc and a few other things, as well as adding characters from other media, like Hydro. On the note of Kaito himself, I never know who created him, as I opened the thread with "You are a mortal from Earthrealm" and let the first posters fill in the blanks from there. Nobody has since stepped forward to claim creation of Kaito, so I suppose the person who did just left afterwards. If only he could see where that character has gone now, fifty+ threads later!**


	2. Stranger than Fiction

**When we last left our hero, he came to an island for a simple tournament only to end up facing his mortality at the ends of a monster's arm-blades. As he was impaled and slowly slid down the spikes to stare into the leering creature's toothy face, he was whisked away to an unknown place by a stranger, his life saved. Now he awakens, not only to the person who rescued him, but to the truth behind this tournament...**

 **Our story continues now.**

* * *

Kaito doesn't recognize the room in which he wakes up. It is dark, with only a few rays of dim sunlight streaking through the gaps of a drawn window shade. The room itself is somewhat small, but considerably well-furnished, with dark blue furniture and carpet. The first thing that strikes him as he wakes up is that his chest is in great pain, but he is comfortable everywhere else due to lying on a soft surface. His ribs are sore and throbbing in tune with his beating heart, which he is surprised to discover is beating at all.

Memories of what happened flash before his eyes. The monster with the blades at the ends of its arms, skewering him through the chest. The last thing he saw was its snarling, fang-filled face staring up at his as he slid down its blades and felt himself dying. Kaito panics briefly, sitting up, but a pair of gentle yet strong hands coax him into continuing to lie down. He looks to his left and sees a woman tending to him, the very same woman he met outside the tower where he nearly died.

"Calm yourself," she urges him in a soothing tone. "You are not dead. I saved you."

He takes in the sight of the beautiful stranger, still clad in a blue dress. Her eyes seem to dazzle and captivate even in the dim light of the room. "You…" Kaito breathes, his voice weak.

"Yes. My name is Kitana." The hands on his chest carefully massage his wound. It still hurts, but he finds some minor comfort from her efforts. "Your wounds were great, but you will heal."

Visions of his battle against the creature that tore into him flash before his mind. "That... thing... A demon..."

She shakes her head. "No," she corrections him, "not a demon, though their kind was once of the Netherrealm. The beast that did this to you is a warrior from Outworld. A tarkatan. Bloodthirsty savages, all of them. They are one of the many races of mutants which inhabit the wastelands."

He shakes his head. "That's not real... it's not... not from Earth..."

"Not Earthrealm. Outworld."

'Earthrealm… Outworld…' He recalls being called an 'Earthrealmer' by the warrior with the sword. He squints and blinks a few times as he tries to understand. "What is that? Outworld? Is that some other dimension?"

"It is similar to that, yes. In time you will understand more, but for now, merely focus on healing."

She move her hands and removes the blanket covering him, moving it down to his waist. He looks down at his chest, which is heavily bandaged and slightly bloodstained. "How am I alive? That thing's blades went right through me..."

"Shang Tsung is not the only one with talent in the ways of magic," she says. "I was able to heal your body. You should be able to move now, which is good, because our work is far from over."

He slowly blinks a few times. "What do you mean?"

Kitana sits back and begins to explain, "Your world, Earth, is but one of many realms. One of them is a forsaken place known as Outworld. This is my home, but only because my true home no longer exists. The Emperor of Outworld seeks to conquer all of Earth, just as he did with my home, but before he can do so, he must win ten consecutive tournaments of Mortal Kombat."

Kaito listens closely, but still doesn't understand. "Ten tournaments? Says who?"

"The Elder Gods put forth this system in ages past when they dictated the rules of existence. This tournament is the most important of all for your realm, for Outworld has won nine. If they win this tournament, the furies will become unbalanced and all of Earth will be open to the Emperor's armies. It will be invaded and assimilated into Outworld, and everything you have known will be crushed beneath his heel, another world lost to his insatiable bloodlust."

Kaito shakes his head, trying to take it all in. "And that thing... are all people from Outworld like him?"

"No. Just his race. But there are many others like him, and many other monsters that will conquer all of Earth if they are not stopped here. This tournament is the final line of defense for your people."

"But... what's you're play in all of this? I thought you said you were from Outworld. Are you on our side?"

"I consider myself on a side of my own. I do not wish to see what has happened to my world happen to the realm of Earth. But I am closely watched and Shang Tsung's sorcery prevents me from reaching certain places on this island. You, however, are not bound by this magic. You can help me, just as you did before." She takes out the amulet and holds it up. Its sapphire glints, its blue depths still almost hypnotic to behold. "What say you?"

"I've met Shang Tsung twice now, and I didn't see any magic. I did see some weird stuff in his tower, that's for sure, but you're telling me that he's a sorcerer? It would explain how creepy he is, I suppose."

"He is, one that excels in deception. He rarely lets others glimpse his full power, or his true form. He is like a serpent, waiting for the right moment to strike and dig his fangs into his prey. He has done much damage in his position and has taken many steps to ensure Outworld's victory. If we are to move against him, we must be careful."

"And he is from Outworld as well?"

"Not originally, but it was the place of his rebirth. He was taught the dark arts by the Emperor himself, and for five hundred years, has overseen the Mortal Kombat tournament ever since Prince Goro defeated the champion from Earthrealm, the Great Kung Lao; a shaolin warrior. The tournament has been corrupt ever since."

'Five hundred years…' Kaito thinks to himself in bewilderment.

There is a noise from outside. Kitana rises and looks out the window. "Shang Tsung does not know I am here right now, and does not know you are alive. This is to our advantage. Earthrealm is also doing surprisingly well in the tournament, but he has yet to truly unleash the true horrors of Outworld—like he did against you. Many more will fall if we do not stop him."

Kaito groans. "So, he's got more monsters in the closet? Wonderful."

"Many, and he has powerful sorcery, more than enough to influence the tournament in his favor. Some of Earthrealm's strongest are here to help, but others from your realm are not. The Lin Kuei and the Black Dragon clans are both participants in this tournament, and work towards the assassination of worthy warriors from their home realm, warriors who stand a chance of defeating Shang Tsung and Prince Goro."

"Why betray Earth?"

"Money, power, influence with the Emperor in his coming conquest of Earth, the reasons are as many as they are pointless. We must stop them regardless of their motivation."

Kaito heeds her words. If what she says is true, and he has little reason to doubt anything at this point no matter how strange it may be, then he has little reason to refuse her. "What exactly did you have in mind?"

"I cannot be seen aiding those of Earthrealm, but through you, I can." Kitana kneels by Kaito's side. "I ask you again, will you help me save your realm?"

"Alright," he says after a moment contemplating. "If these guys are trying to help some guy, this 'Emperor' you're talking about, take over Earth then I'm in. We should stop them. What do you know about them?"

"I know that they are both being paid by Shang Tsung to eliminate Earthrealm warriors. The Lin Kuei have targeted the Shaolin representatives and the Black Dragon have targeted the Special Forces that Shang Tsung lured to the island. But I have a plan to eliminate both clans and remove the danger they pose to your realm."

"How?"

"We make them fight each other. In so doing, they will give Earthrealm an opportunity to win the tournament."

"That sounds like a good plan to me," Kaito agrees, "but how do we do it?"

"I have become aware of the schemes of two members of both groups. If you intercept and kill them both, you can place incriminating evidence upon their corpses—such as the symbol of either group. When both groups find their murdered comrade, I will whisper the lie to them that it was the other that did this, in order to eliminate competition for Shang Tsung's gold. This will set them upon each other."

"That's well and good, but…"

"But…?"

"I've never had to kill before," he admits.

She sits back and regards him with curious eyes. "I have, many times in fact. I won't lie that I am somewhat cold to the matter of killing, but I have seen much in my time in Outworld. The deaths of a few could prevent the deaths of billions of souls upon Earth. That is the essence of Mortal Kombat: it is not about death, but life. This tournament is a way for the few to stand for the many, mortal men and women defending their home. This is what you must do, Kaito."

He lays silently for a moment as he contemplates what she has told him. Merely a few days ago he did not know of the existence of other realms, nor any form of demons or sorcery. But now, here he is, in the thick of it, fighting in a tournament that could decide the fate of his entire planet, all set forth by some vague 'Elder Gods.' He could continue to object, to rationalize and justify, continue to deny what he has seen here—but he doesn't.

Deep within him, her words light a fire that he has been looking for all his life: something to fight for. What better reason could there be than the protection of his home? He certainly doesn't want to see it conquered. And if this is to be the final tournament that will decide such a thing, it seems ridiculous to think that he would refuse.

He is on an island of killers. If he must kill in order to stay alive, then so be it.

"I'll do it," he replies. Kitana smiles and nods her approval. "I may not like it, but I'll do it."

"You are doing the right thing," she assures him. "Many a time I have had to kill on the orders of others, but I have also killed for what I have believed is right. So long as you fight with conviction in your heart, you will find the strength to do what is necessary."

With her help, he manages to sit up. His chest still hurts; she advises him to take time to stretch and recover. As he does, she shows him where she has placed his belongings. She has also provided a mask that will help conceal his identity, should he need to. As he stands up and stretches his limbs, puffing out his aching chest and cracking his joints, she elaborates about her plans. She goes into detail about both groups, the Lin Kuei and the Black Dragon, telling him about their members and leadership.

"The Lin Kuei Grandmaster is not here, but his top warriors are. Sub-Zero, the one you saw in the hall, is their greatest warrior. He is a cryomancer."

"So he can actually freeze people on the spot?"

"Yes. He is descended from an ancient race, older than his clan itself. As far as I know, he may be among the last of his kind."

"And is he my target?" he asks, wary of facing the fearsome killer.

"No, I believe that may be too dangerous. He is accompanied by other Lin Kuei assassins, acting as their leader here on the island. One of them is known as Hydro. He has been personally tasked with hunting down the Shaolin warrior known as Liu Kang."

"Liu Kang… I met a Liu on the boat coming here. It's probably the same guy."

"I am also in contact with Liu Kang. I believe he may be the key to winning this tournament, but he cannot if he is dead. We will deal with Hydro."

"What about the Black Dragon?"

"The Black Dragon is a criminal organization from the underworld of your realm. I suspect the relationship between Shang Tsung and their leader, Kano, goes beyond merely hiring them to fight for Outworld's benefit."

"Kano… I met him on the docks," Kaito realizes. "I had no idea he was the leader of a criminal group."

"One of his lesser men, a thick-headed fool named Rojack, is lying in wait for an Earthrealmer known as Sonya Blade. She has been lured here by Shang Tsung's clever manipulations and is hunting Kano."

"I think I met her as well," he says, recalling the blonde military officer that was after Kano.

"You will ambush Rojack and Hydro before either of them can attack their targets. On each of them you should find some kind of symbol of their respective clans. By planting these symbols on the opposite bodies we will trick both groups into thinking that the other is responsible."

"Got it," he says with a nod.

She instructs him on where each is hidden: Rojack lies in wait above one of the passages leading to the bridge which spans the pit of spikes, and Hydro is hiding within the gardens amongst the statues of warriors. As Kaito performs push-ups to get blood pumping through his arms and chest, he considers which he will take on first.

"Rojack seems like he'll be easier," Kaito says as he gets up from the floor, shaking out his hands with a few quick waving motions. "He's not a trained assassin like Hydro is. I'll take care of him, hide the body, and then handle Hydro."

"Very well," she says, moving to the door. "I must leave for the palace. My absence will have already been noted and I must not be seen conspiring with anyone from Earthrealm."

"Wait," Kaito says, holding up a hand. "I haven't even thanked you properly for saving my life."

"Think nothing of it," she bids. "You owe me nothing. What I did, I did to help not only you, but your realm."

He is at a loss for words, unable to articulate how much it means to him. "I still have so many questions. Where are you from, originally? You said your home was conquered by the Emperor?"

"Questions for another time," she promises. "If we succeed in our plans, I will have time to tell you more." He watches as she opens the door and leaves, telling him only, "Good luck."

He looks out the window at Kitana as she walks away, seeing her vanish from view behind some trees. He dresses himself fully, putting his shirt back on over his bandaged chest. He packs the remainder of his things into his duffle bag, except for the mask and his headband. He looks at the white and red cloth and puts it into his pocket before zipping up the duffle and sliding the mask over his head. He slides the duffle bag over his shoulder and prepares to leave.

With his thoughts still focused on the new twist his life has suddenly taken, with everything Kitana has revealed to him, he opens the door and steps outside, closing it behind him. He discovers that the room is a small hut hidden in the woods. Following the same path that Kitana took, he reaches a well-traveled path that leads to one he took on his first day on the island. He remembers that it led him to the mountain tunnel that opens up to the pit where he was found by the fox-masked guard. Taking the same steps as before, he quickly scales the stone steps that lead up to the bridge, but he does not immediately step out.

According to Kitana, Rojack is here somewhere. He sticks his head out and looks around, but does not see him. The only two decent spots for ambushing someone crossing this bridge would be to hide above one of the two mountain openings at either end. Since he cannot see Rojack on the other side, he deduces that the Black Dragon must be above the one he is standing within.

Slowly and stealthily he edges his way out of the opening, hugging his back to the mountain wall. A sharp scent reaches his nostrils and he recognizes that it is a cigar. He must be smoking. 'Not very smart when you're hoping to surprise someone,' he thinks to himself. As quietly as he can, he steps up onto a rock and scales the wall of the cliff, peeking his head up over the stone and discovering Rojack.

The thug, for there is little better term to describe him, is laying on his stomach in wait. He has a thick cigar hanging from his lips and his head is wrapped in a red bandana, which Kaito can't help but notice has a distinctive insignia on it. He appears rather well-built, obviously one who doesn't skip going to the gym, or perhaps one who goes too much and could use another hobby. As he waits and smokes, Kaito slowly crawls up the stones, feeling a tingling sensation in his spine as he gets nervous. He swallows it back and slowly sneaks up on the enforcer.

As Kaito approaches him, he accidentally missteps and knocks a rock to one side, making just enough noise to alert the man. With a, "Huh?" as he turns around, he sees Kaito coming and tenses up as the man jumps on top of him and wraps his hands around his neck. Rojack immediately struggles, grabbing Kaito's wrists and grunting, "Ack! Get—get offa me!" He chokes as Kaito presses his weight down on him.

Rojack is not without resources of his own. He's at a disadvantage, but Kaito sees him reaching down for a knife at his belt. With his knee, he pins the arm to the rock and prevents him from stabbing upwards. Rojack's other hand lets go of Kaito's wrist and balls into a fist, bringing it up to try and hit him in the face. In response, Kaito shouts and brings down his head to smash it against Rojack's forehead before resuming his choking. Adrenaline pumps through his body as he squeezes as hard as he can. In a few more moments, the man's eyes roll upwards and he slowly stops struggling.

Kaito gives him a few moments more, just to be safe, before letting go. His hands are white from how hard he was gripping and are shaking uncontrollably. Breath comes slowly to him, in slightly haggard and labored gasps, as he sits back and looks down at his first kill. True, he's no saint himself—he's done some bad things to people before, especially in street fights, but there's nothing that quite compares to this.

Kaito reaches up and takes the man's bandanna with the Black Dragon logo on it, that of two twisting serpents and a knife. He tries his best to calm down and relax, moving to get off of the corpse and sit next to him. He always imagined being forced to kill someone in a fight, rather than sneaking up on someone and strangling him. 'I guess I'm not a very effective assassin… Then again, he is dead, so maybe I am.' He takes a few deep breaths and reminds himself that it's for a good cause and that the man was a criminal. Sure, he didn't know his crimes outside of the word of a woman he's never met, but still…

Kaito grunts as he drags the heavy body of Rojack up the mountain a ways. There, he finds some rocks and hides the body there, where only the birds would be able to find him. He wipes sweat from his brow and hopes that last bit to be true, but the area is very secluded and at least there isn't a blood trail to follow, so he thinks it will be safe enough. He takes a moment to ensure that the man is fully hidden before climbing back down towards the bridge, pausing to sit on a rock.

Killing a man came surprisingly easy to him, as it turns out, a fact that both surprises and frightens him. But given his recent brush with death on the ends of a tarkatan's arm-blades, perhaps this island has only served as a wakeup call. In a place like this, it's eat or be eaten, and if helping someone like Kitana can help him not get eaten, along with fighting for a good cause, then perhaps it's all worth it.

Still, as he looks at his hands, he can't help but feel more than a little guilty over ending the man's life. A criminal he may have been, but he never met the man before today. He also can't help but feel like a tool in someone else's game, but then again, he's always felt like that on some level, be it fate or some other abstract concept that's seemed to guide him and his destiny. 'Doesn't much matter now,' he thinks to himself. 'What's done is done.'

With Rojack taken care of, Kaito thinks about what, or rather who, comes next: Hydro. Unlike the Black Dragon thug, Kitana's warning of the Lin Kuei being trained assassins and killers makes him wary of taking him on in a direct fight. If he is tasked with assassinating Liu Kang, then perhaps Kaito should track him down first and wait for Hydro to make his move. Two against one would do better. He thinks then about Sub-Zero and the demonstration of his freezing ability and can only wonder if Hydro has some similar power, but with water. At this point it wouldn't surprise him if he did.

Taking another deep breath, Kaito climbs down the rocks and back onto the bridge. As he hops down, he hears someone approaching from within the mountain passage, nearly bumping into him. He looks up and his eyes meet those of the blonde military woman—Sonya Blade, apparently, the same woman he accidentally tripped on the docks.

Although curiously enough she's no longer wearing military fatigues and is instead wearing what could best be described as a green yoga outfit with a black belt and headband. The shirt she wears, the same shade of green as her pants, is rather tight-fitting, conforming to all the curves of her athletic body. He has to admit that it's all rather tasteful, actually, surprisingly sexy even. But the look on her face isn't.

"Hey!" she says, seeing the Black Dragon symbol in his hand. "You're with the Black Dragon!"

His eyes widen as he realizes she doesn't recognize him with the mask on. "Woah, woah! I'm—"

She puts up her fists. "You're going to take me to Kano, RIGHT NOW!"

"Just wait a minute! I'm not—"

But his protests fall upon deaf ears! She's made up her mind and charging, her teeth gritted and fists clenched!

Kaito immediately goes on the defensive, blocking a high kick and a series of fast punches. He's surprised at her strength and speed, finding himself pushed back out onto the pit bridge as he attempts to fight her off, but Sonya is a most accomplished fighter. In-between blocking her kicks and punches, he tries to explain who he is.

"Listen to me! I'm not with the Black Dragon!" She performs a roundhouse kick and he ducks under it, flipping backwards as she responds.

"Of course not, not when faced with a Special Forces soldier! Anything to avoid imprisonment! You Black Dragon thugs are all alike!"

She runs at him and performs a feint, twisting her body as she jumps up and kicks Kaito in the chest, forcing him back down towards the center of the bridge. He shakes his head and focuses in time to block her next attack. "You're not going to get away with your crimes!" she shouts as she performs a spinning elbow-slam against his blocking arms.

Kaito sees an opening and grabs her arm, pushing down and sliding his leg under hers as he attempts to put her in a hold to give him a moment to explain what is going on, but she reverses it, managing to wrap both of her thighs around his neck in a stunning backflip maneuver.

As enticing as such a position would sound under normal conditions, his head between a beautiful woman's thighs, he had little doubt that she could snap his neck if she so chose. He struggles as she puts her hands on the ground, performing a deadly handstand maneuver as she looks back up at him. Kaito chokes as he tenses his neck, but her hold on him is as firm as a professional's.

"Talk, damn you!" she commands. "Where is Kano?!"

As he attempts to respond through the choking he is receiving from her thighs, she suddenly shouts in pain as her stomach is blasted with a red laser beam from a short distance away. Her grip on Kaito loosens and she falls forwards, landing on her stomach as the Japanese man stumbles backwards.

"'Ello baby, did'ju miss me?" a familiar voice reaches his ears. He looks up and sees where the attack originated from: Kano.

Approaching from the mountainside where Kaito and Sonya both originally came from, the leader of the Black Dragon stops in front of Sonya and looks up at him, smiling as he sees who it is. "Well, if it isn't my boy from the docks, eh? Whattaya say ya help me with another little problem like before?"

Kano takes out a large bowie knife and looks down at Sonya, who groans as she holds her stomach in pain from the beam that Kano shot out of his cybernetic eye. The underworld boss leans down and grabs her by the hair, making her shout in surprised pain as he forces her to look at him. "Is this familiar, baby?" he asks, holding the knife up to her neck. "Brings back memories, don't it?"

Sonya spits up at his face, her spittle landing right on his red eye. He laughs and brings her up for a head-butt, smashing his metal forehead against her and putting her down. "Hold her down!" he orders Kaito.

The choice seems obvious.

Instead of obeying, Kaito whips around and attacks Kano, surprising him with a spinning kick to the face. As the Black Dragon falls back he lets go of Sonya's hair. Kaito jumps over the military woman and atop the one-eyed man, delivering a flurry of quick and brutal blows to his face and chest. Kano tries to stab upwards with the large knife but Kaito blocks his strike and twists his hand, causing him to let go of the knife, which falls from his grasp over the edge of the pit, tumbling down below to land amongst the metal spikes. Kano grabs Kaito by the collar and pulls him in for a head-butt as well, smashing his forehead against the man and causing him to roll off to the side, near the edge.

Sonya, quickly recovering, leaps up to her feet just as Kano starts to pick himself up. Sonya shouts, her voice fiery and full of rage, as she jumps up and delivers a powerful dropkick to Kano's chest and face at the same time. He is knocked back down by the blow, rendered into a state of dizziness by the assault. Kaito rubs his sore forehead through his mask as Sonya gets on top of the criminal and grabs hold of his neck.

"You killed my partner, you bastard," she spits. "I have orders to take you in... but I should kill you right now. End this once and for all. You heartless son of a bitch..."

Her grip on his neck tightens for a moment before she stands up, pulling him up to his feet as well. She holds him near the edge of the pit, threatening to drop him. He chokes out a protest, grabbing her wrists as Kaito looks on.

He holds up a hand, thinking quickly to stop another death from happening. "Stop! If you kill him now, you're no better than he is! What would your partner want?"

She falters for a moment, thinking hard on his words. Kano nods eagerly, agreeing with him. "Come on, baby!" he gasps. "Gimme a break!"

Sonya stares into his eyes with murderous intent, but backs down, letting go of him. He falls to his knees and rubs his neck as he takes deep breaths. Sonya sighs and grabs his head before smashing her knee into his face while pulling him into it, knocking him out. He falls limply on the bridge, drool pouring out of his mouth. She kneels down and takes out a pair of handcuffs, slapping them onto the criminal. "You were right," she says. "Thank you for reminding me of what I'm not. As much as I hate it, it means more to me to see the law handle Kano."

She turns to look at Kaito, reconsidering her original opinion of the man. "But who are you, exactly? Helping me bring down Kano tells me that you really aren't Black Dragon, so what's your story?"

He takes off his mask and her eyes open as she recalls who he is. "You tripped me on the docks," she remembers.

"Complete accident, I swear. My name is Akayama Kaito," he says. "I was invited to this island, same as you."

She shakes her head. "I was never invited. I followed Kano to the boat and then here into this madhouse of an island."

"You can say that again," Kaito agrees. He pauses briefly, wondering how much she knows about what is truly going on. "Say, what do you know about Earth being a realm and being half of this tournament against some other realm?"

She looks somewhat surprised. "On the boat, I spoke with an old man who claimed to be a god of thunder and lightning. He told me and others that this place called 'Outworld' and its Emperor are trying to conquer all of Earth through this... contest. I don't know if I believe all of that, but still... I've seen some strange things on this island."

"You and me both," he replies. He then holds up the Black Dragon symbol. "I'm trying to get two groups to fight each other to get rid of some competition. The Black Dragon and the Lin Kuei. You in?"

"The Lin Kuei... I fought one of them earlier while I was looking for Kano."

"Give you much trouble?" he asks.

"He was one of their lesser-ranked warriors, I think. It was in the caves down the stairs that way," she points in the direction she came from. "I didn't have time to arrest him."

"Say, if you don't mind me asking, what do the Black Dragon do?"

"Terrorism, smuggling, international arms dealing, kidnapping, extortion, murder," she quickly lists them off. "That's just the big ones." Suddenly, he doesn't feel as bad about taking out Rojack. She stands up and dusts off her hands, adding, "I'm sorry Kaito, I'd like to help you, but I'm busy with a mission of my own. Now that I have Kano, half of it is finished. I'm looking for my SO, Major Jackson Briggs. Big guy. He's held captive somewhere on this island. Seen him?"

"I'm afraid not."

"Then we'll have to split up for now. Good luck to you. Maybe we'll meet again."

"Can't be that big of an island, right?" Kaito jokes. He slowly walks away and turns to leave as she goes back to dealing with Kano. He looks up at the sun and sees that it is still over the water, but the afternoon is growing late. He hopes that this fight with Sonya and Kano didn't rob him of his opportunity to find Hydro before he finds Liu Kang. He picks up the pace and leaves in search of the Chinese fighter.

Descending further into the mountains by way of a staircase he has not gone down before, Kaito finds himself in a series of twisting caverns, dark and foreboding, lit only by the occasional torch or brazier. As he moves deeper through the caves the natural walls eventually give way to worked, smooth stone and the passage turns into a hall leading to the dungeons. As he walks along he spies skeletons of previous island visitors hanging on the walls by shackles around their wrists. He keeps an eye on them, wary of skeletons ever since his encounter in Shang Tsung's tower. Though he is alone, he can almost swear that eyes are peering at him from the dark corners of this subterranean maze.

Despite his efforts, he finds no evidence of the Lin Kuei in the caves nor the dungeons they lead into. He does, however, discover an exit that leads to the gardens he explored on his first day on the island, leading to a small cropping of land that overlooks the many statues he saw there. As he cautiously sneaks around, he overhears some voices and crouches low, hiding amongst some nearby bushes.

He moves closer, listening in on a meeting in progress. He manages to peer down and sees two blue-clad ninja-looking warriors, one of whom is Sub-Zero. Kaito realizes that the other must be Hydro.

'Unless there's some other blue ninja I'm not aware of,' he thinks to himself. 'I mean, how many more could there be?'

"You have your orders from the Grand Master?" Sub-Zero asks the other.

"Yes, Sub-Zero. Sektor and Cyrax are pursuing their objectives, as am I. Liu Kang is being lured to these gardens as we speak by servants of Shang Tsung."

"Good. Be wary, for this place is full of enemies, even for the Lin Kuei."

"I will not fail you." He places his hand in front of his chest in a kind of salute and bows his head.

"I know you will not, my old friend. I must go now... a ghost is shadowing me." Sub-Zero looks away, his eyes scanning across the gardens, but Kaito sees no one else there.

"Do you mean...?"

"I will not dignify the spectre or his dead clan by speaking his name. If this apparition means to kill me, I will simply tear out its spine a second time. We do not fear the dead—we are the Lin Kuei."

"More stealthful than the night," Hydro says.

"More deadly than the dawn," Sub-Zero finishes, and then they part. As they leave, Kaito keeps his eyes on Hydro, getting a closer look at him to study his intended enemy. His outfit is of a lighter color than Sub-Zero's; light blue over dark blue, as opposed to the other's dark blue over black attire. In addition to two straight swords that he can see on his outfit, Hydro also appears to have some kind of mechanical device strapped to his back. It appears to be two tanks, not unlike those which hold compressed gas or fluids. Two cords emerge from the tanks and run along the length of his arms, ending at the wrists. The warrior guesses that those are used by Hydro for some kind of attack, perhaps to spray his opponents. With acid, perhaps? Or poisonous gas?

Hydro finds a good hiding place in the gardens. Had Kaito not spied him first, he likely would have not seen him either, but like Rojack, he has the drop on the Lin Kuei. He leaves his own hiding place and moves a few meters closer, managing to get into a position where he could charge at Hydro and attack him—without him noticing him coming, with any luck.

Taking a moment to prepare himself for his ambush, Kaito rushes out of his hiding spot, charging Hydro from behind. The Lin Kuei, however, much more in tune with his senses than Rojack, hears Kaito coming and rolls out of the way of the man's punch. He rolls onto his feet, facing Kaito in a kombat-ready stance, taking out a sword and pointing it at Kaito.

"You're not Liu Kang," he says with a laugh. He straightens and slides his sword back into its sheath, causing Kaito to raise a brow in confusion. "Maybe I'll have some fun toying with you until the real fighter arrives."

Hydro kicks a foot up high and flexes his legs before flipping back and keeping himself low, his eyes locked on Kaito all the while. He holds out a hand and issues a challenge to him with his fingers, daring him to try coming at him. Kaito holds up his fists, spits and cracks his neck before charging in.

Kaito goes in hard and fast, striking as powerfully as he can to keep the Chinese warrior on his toes. Hydro deftly blocks most of the attacks, but some get through. They battle their way across the gardens, with the Lin Kuei displaying a highly acrobatic fighting style. His movements remind Kaito of those of a Tai Chi practitioner—like the water he is named for, his fighting style is fluid and he bends and molds himself to Kaito's attacks. This is troubling, as the Bloody Hands fighter relies on landing powerful punches to wear his opponent down, but Hydro's continued defense of rolling his hands around the fighter's punches to deflect them is quite effective.

But not completely so, as Kaito brings up a foot to knock Hydro's blocking hands away before launching a quick fist right into the man's masked face. Hydro leaps back, rubbing his cheek and straightening his blue mask. "Not bad... You're strong, but you lack technique."

"Technique is for teachers and artists," Kaito quips back at the man.

"Perhaps so, but you're not facing any ordinary warrior! You face a Lin Kuei!"

Placing his hands together, he lunges forward and summons a surge of freezing water that blasts forth from his palms, shot out of the tanks on his back. Kaito barely has time to react as he leaps aside. The spray of water hits a fountain behind him, causing the stone and the water within to freeze solid. Hydro recoils, flexing his arms as the liquid shooters at his wrists drip with excess enhanced liquid nitrogen.

Kaito lets out a whistle. "That's some cold water... but at least you're not a bonehead like the one I fought in the tower!"

"What?"

Kaito leaps forward, taking advantage of the man's momentary confusion, shouting as he descends upon Hydro, his fists flying like lightning, twice as fast as he was attacking before. The blue warrior can scarcely keep up with such an assault, backing up as his defenses are slowly worn down. More and more of Kaito's attacks slip through, striking at his face and chest, tearing at the fabric of his uniform as though his hands were like claws. Kaito's brow furrows as his body begins to tire from his relentless attack, but he knows that if he doesn't keep Hydro at bay, he risks being hit by another blast of freezing water, so he keeps striking even after starting to lose feeling in his fingers.

Hydro's demise comes when he miscalculates the ground on which he backs up, his foot hitting a stone. He stumbles back and struggles to maintain his footing but this is just the opening that Kaito needs. The Bloody Hands style lives up to its name as his fists crack a rib, a jawbone and a clavicle in three swift and devastating punches. In desperation Hydro throws out his arm and attempts to spray him at close-range, but Kaito catches his arm and points it away as the water blasts out. He turns the arm palm-up and brings it down onto his rising knee, snapping the elbow into bending backwards. Hydro shouts in pain as Kaito continues the attack by shooting his hand up into the man's face, stabbing him in an eye.

He lets go and Hydro falls back, shouting and gasping in breathless pain as Kaito stands over his opponent, blood dripping down his arms. He pants heavily and prepares to finish the job.

But before he can, over the sound of his opponent's painful wails, he hears someone coming. Could it be Liu Kang? Another member of the Lin Kuei? He looks down and decides to end the man quickly.

Kaito kneels down and places both hands on the struggling man's head and swiftly snaps Hydro's neck, ending his life once and for all. He shakes his head as his aching arms twitch a bit. Focusing, he reaches onto Hydro's vest for the Lin Kuei patch and tears it off. At that moment, a Chinese warrior rounds the corner, wearing baggy black pants and a white tank top—it's the same man Kaito met on the boat when he climbed onboard. He raises his fists. "Who are you? Another one of Shang Tsung's assassins?"

He quickly stands up and drops the Black Dragon symbol on the body. He adopts a slightly different voice and says through the mask, "You must be Liu Kang. This man was going to kill you, or try to at least. I took care of him."

Liu looks suspiciously at the dead Lin Kuei warrior but doesn't drop his fists. "If what you say is true, then you have my gratitude. Who are you, masked one?"

Seeing as how he could connect Kaito to the body, he decides to keep it secret for now in order to maintain his plan as much as possible. "Just a friend looking out for others. Watch your back."

Before Liu can reply, Kaito runs away, stuffing the symbol of the Lin Kuei that he tore from Hydro's shirt into his pocket. As he reaches the end of the gardens, he pauses and takes a moment to relax. His body is strained after that last match, but at least Hydro is no more and he planted the symbol of the Black Dragon upon him. He slides the mask off of his head and tosses it aside, no longer needing it since the two targets are dead. He takes out his white and red headband, unfolds it and places it around his forehead, tightening it behind him.

After his body calms down and he is once more in a state of calm, he leaves the gardens to head back towards the forest hut where Kitana revived him. She is nowhere to be seen here, but she did say she had to go to the palace to be seen. He gathers his things and starts towards the pit to plant the symbol on Rojack's body, walking up the trail that leads there.

Before he can cross a red painted bridge that spans a river, Kaito sees two of the fox-masked guards on patrol and approaching. They stop when they see him and one of them must be the same one he ran into on his first day on the island because he recognizes him instantly.

"You there! Master Shang Tsung is looking for you! You will come with us immediately!"

Kaito is not so sure he is ready to go meet the man who sent a tarkatan to kill him.

He doesn't fight or resist as the guards approach him with their pole arms at the ready. The masked guards get on either side of him and prod him with their weapons, leading him through the courtyard, under a pair of ornate archways and up a staircase, ending up in a hallway leading to the throne room of the palace.

Kaito follows their direction, having no choice—if he tried running away, they could stab him. Before they reach the throne room, however, he notices an open window and hears the sounds of a rushing waterfall outside and for a moment considers leaping out to freedom.

But he decides against running away, thinking that this may be his best chance to find Kitana. Kaito walks past the window and is led into the throne room, a large chamber of red pillars with twisting golden dragons clawing their way up the sides. The red carpet leading up to the throne is lined with golden trimming and the room itself is decorated with many tapestries depicting the dragon symbol. At the center of the room, an old man in a set of purple robes sits upon a grand red and golden throne with his hands resting comfortably upon dragon head armrests.

But who is this old man in the purple robes? Surely not Shang Tsung? Kaito has seen him, he is younger than this... much younger. The man's face is wrinkled and his moustache and beard are long and thin, not unlike a kind of Fu Manchu-styled Chinese sorcerer.

He is forced onto his knees by one of the masked guards, who hits him in the back with the end of his pole arm. Kaito looks up defiantly as the old man strokes his long facial hair.

"Akayama Kaito... you were supposed to have died in my forest."

"And just who are you, old man? I thought Shang Tsung wasn't some dried-up prune that someone left out in the sun for too long."

"Appearances are always deceiving, are they not?" the elder cackles. "I've little need to maintain my youthful visage here in my home, especially now that the tournament has begun. But the face you knew is one of many I can assume at will." Shang Tsung pauses stroking his grey beard as he ponders something.

Kaito points an accusing finger at the sorcerer. "Yeah? Did you pick up that trick from the Emperor, or is it something you've learned over the last five hundred years?

"You know more than you seem," Shang says, his brows rising slightly. "But I doubt you learned all of this on your own… No matter. The question remains... what to do with you. You lost the battle against my watchdog and yet you still live—Mortal Kombat was not completed. I could kill you now, but instead, I offer you a choice."

Kaito pauses. "I'm listening."

"Pledge yourself to the Emperor of Outworld, and myself. Fight for his armies and become a warrior with no equal. Honor and glory will be heaped upon your name, and when Earthrealm is conquered, all who assisted the Emperor will be granted a domain within Outworld to rule over in his name. Or..."

"Or?"

"Or die against the very beast I sent to kill you in the first place, and then your soul will be mine."

The doors nearby open, drawing Kaito's eyes to the left as the very tarkatan, Tortek, emerges. He looks upon Kaito and snarls as their eyes meet, clearly eager to finish what he started earlier.

Shang Tsung finishes by saying, "The choice is yours, Akayama Kaito. Glory in life... or Mortal Kombat."

Kaito looks from Tortek to the sorcerer upon his throne. "And if I fight that thing and win?"

"Then you will have won a match for your realm, and will be free to go. Of course, the offer goes with it. Well...? Choose your destiny."

As Kaito kneels and listens to the sorcerer's words, he looks away, past the throne. Beyond one of the windows, peering through a thin line, is Kitana. Kaito knows that she may not be able to save him this time, with Shang Tsung here to ensure his own demise. But that's only if he fails. As he looks back at the battle-ready tarkatan, he feels his blood begin to boil with the heat and dread that oncoming battle brings. He wants another chance at that bastard and bending the knee to some Emperor he's never heard of doesn't suit him well.

Despite his fear at facing the Outworld mutant once more, Kaito can't help but laugh and stare back into Shang Tsung's pale eyes. "Fuck you, old man. I'm not going to bow to you or anyone else, and I'm sure as hell not going to die on my knees. I choose Mortal Kombat."

Shang Tsung's eyes narrow and his grip tightens on his chair's armrests.

"So be it!" he cries. "You shall not die on your knees. You shall die impaled on the ends of my watchdog's blades. Tortek! Finish what you started."

The tarkatan's blades emerge from his forearms and he strikes them together, creating a show of sparks. "Yes, master! He dies now!"

The fox-masked guards back away as Kaito stands up. Tortek moves to stand opposite him so that Shang Tsung may observe the match from his throne. The tarkatan growls as saliva drips from his many fangs as his nostrils flare over his nose ring. Kaito prepares himself to face the monster that nearly killed him only a day prior.

"What's it like being a hound?" Kaito asks, bringing up his fists.

"What's it like knowing this hound will kill you?" the beast replies in a show of surprising wit.

Kaito cracks a cocky grin. "If you weren't, we'd almost be friends."

Shang Tsung sits back. "Let Mortal Kombat begin! FIGHT!"

Tortek howls and throws his arms out wide. Kaito focuses his eyes on those arms—his fighting style might focus on bloodying his hands, but those claws and arm-blades are terrible things to get on the wrong end of, something he knows all too well. He begins to formulate a plan to get around them and possibly break or snap them, like he did to Hydro's elbow. Doing so would rob the beast of his primary means of attack and then he could put him down like the dog he is.

Kaito goes in, hoping to earn an early arm-breaking maneuver. Tortek surprises him with a new trick as he scrapes his blades together and creates a projectile of sparks that hits Kaito square in the chest, knocking him back and off-balance. He manages to stay standing as his chest stings from the attack, seeing Tortek rapidly closing the distance. The tarkatan is on him in an instant, trying to impale him on his blades. Kaito regains his footwork and dodges each attempt as they fight their way across the throne room, watched by many eyes.

The tartakan smiles as he locks arms with Kaito, each pushing against the other.

"Ready to die? No one to save you this time!" He opens his fang-filled maw and breathes on Kaito's face; it smells like raw meat and blood. Kaito grunts and brings a knee up into the smug mutant's jaw before pushing him back and getting some distance. Tortek rubs his chin and spits out a sharp, needle-like tooth.

"You'll grow more, I'm sure," he says as the enraged tarkatan charges again. The monster thrusts both arms out in front of him like spears as he makes a straight line towards Kaito. The human sees the blades coming at him like the goring horns of a charging bull, and like a matador, steps aside at the last moment—but he's not done yet. With all the speed and dexterity he can muster, he grabs the shaft of the arm blade and yanks Tortek to the side, causing the tarkatan to lose his footing and trip. Holding him up by the arm-blade as he hits the ground, Kaito raises his free hand up high and shouts as he brings it down on the blade, snapping it in half! The bone shatters with a cracking noise as his hand smashes it into two pieces. Kaito is no stranger to testing his might against hard objects like planks of wood or stone blocks, but this is one to remember.

The monster cries out as one of its weapons is literally torn from its body, which Kaito drops behind him. As he tries to get back up to his feet, Kaito follows up with a furious series of lightning-quick strikes against the monster's exposed face and chest, kicking downwards and keeping the monster low to the floor. With the advantage firmly on his side, he prepares to rob Tortek of his other weapon. With a swinging kick to the beast's face he rolls Tortek onto his chest. Placing he knee on the monster's back to hold him down, he grabs the tarkatan's uninjured arm and lifts it up. Just as he did to Hydro, he bends it back and slams his fist into the elbow, breaking his arm.

The tarkatan cries out in pain with a guttural gurgling noise, his mouth furiously snapping open and shut. Kaito lets go of the arm and drops it limply to the floor before standing up and walking over to the arm-blade he previously broke off. He picks it up and looks at it before turning back to his wounded opponent, still on the ground and struggling to turn over with his one good arm, but the pain from his broken arm-blade is keeping him from pushing up on it.

As he manages to turn around, his orange eyes widen as he sees his own arm-blade pointed at his neck. Kaito holds it like a sword, his eyes firm and unwavering as he stands over his defeated opponent. He takes a deep breath through his nostrils as he prepares to plunge it into the monster's throat.

Tortek manages chokes out words. "Wait... wait, spare me! I will serve you! I swear it on my life!"

At this, Kaito does falter. He looks down at the tarkatan and actually sees small tears forming in his eyes as he is faced with his own mortality. The human's eyes narrow as he begins to feel pity for the tarkatan.

Shang Tsung looks on in disgust. "FINISH HIM!" the sorcerer shouts. Kaito looks back at the man upon his throne and then back to Tortek. It is true that the mutant had nearly killed him, but at the same time, his earlier words to Sonya ring in his head. Would he be any better than the tarkatan if he returned the favor?

'That's stupid,' he thinks to himself. 'It's just some monster. It's not like I haven't killed already.' He looks into the orange eyes as the creature pleads once more for his life. 'Then again… none of them begged for life. Not that Rojack had a chance, but still…'

Conflicted by his conscience, Kaito turns the blade aside, not truly ceasing to point it at Tortek's neck and asks Shang Tsung, "He's beaten. I defeated him in Mortal Kombat. If I do not kill him, can I instead take his service?"

Shang Tsung scowls. "Yes, this is allowed. By the decree of the Elder Gods, his fate is yours to decide. He owes you his life now, the pitiful wretch." He looks down at Tortek and shakes his head in disappointment at his watchdog's failure.

Kaito looks down at him. "Swear it, then."

Tortek nods. "I... I swear! I serve you, only you!"

Shang Tsung sighs and stands. "This battle is finished, then. The sun dips low and the moon rises soon. Tomorrow, the great kombat resumes... and I grow weary of these humans winning." He looks to one of the guards and says, "It is time we awoke our champion."

Kaito looks up at the old sorcerer. "Prince Goro?"

Shang Tsung says nothing and pays him no heed as he walks away with his fox-masked guards behind him, leaving them behind. Kaito looks down at Tortek as the throne room rapidly empties before calling out, "Hey, wait, can't you heal my, uh, servant?"

Shang Tsung stops in the doorway and speaks over his shoulder. "He's yours now. You deal with him."

The doors shut behind the sorcerer and Kaito looks down at the tarkatan with the broken arm. He has his eyes closed and is whimpering not unlike a wounded animal. The human looks to the window where he saw Kitana earlier but she is gone now—he hopes he can find her soon. He moves the blade away and drops it before offering Tortek his hand, unsure of what else to do. "Can you walk?" he asks.

The mutant clasps his hand and gets up on his feet, his head bowed low. Kaito looks at him with a raised brow as he hugs his injured arm and lets out another sniffle. "Alright then. I suppose I have to figure out what to do with you." The tarkatan doesn't look back at him. "What is it? Your arm?"

"Tortek is weak," he says. "Tarkata supposed to be strong."

Kaito scratches the back of his head. Does he compliment him on nearly killing him yesterday? "Well, you still put up a good fight," he says.

"Why spare me?" Tortek asks, finally looking up at Kaito with teary orange eyes.

'Wish I knew,' he thinks to himself, but he tells him, "You asked for mercy. What would I be if I didn't give it?"

Tortek seems confused by the concept. "Mercy not given by tarkatans to losers. Tarkatans kill all their enemies even if they beg. Weakness."

"It's not a weakness to want to live," Kaito says. "Now let me see your arm. Maybe I can snap it back into place."

Tortek hesitates, but is bound to serve his new master. He holds out his bruised and broken arm. Kaito has snapped bones back into joints before, but never an elbow. "Get ready," he warns Tortek, who nods. Kaito uses his arms to force the tarkatan's arm to bend normally again and he shouts in pain. The human holds onto the arm and keeps him standing until he steadies out. "How's that?"

Tortek breathes as he flexes his arm. "Hurts, but can move it," he says.

"You tarkatans are tough, aren't you?" he asks.

Tortek doesn't immediately reply as Kaito picks up the arm-blade and prepares to hand it to him. The tarkatan shakes his head. "You must keep it," he says.

"Why?"

"Tarkatans take broken blades as trophies. Wear them proudly. Tortek cannot take it back."

An odd custom, but one that makes sense given the brutality of these creatures. "Will it grow back?"

"In time," the tarkatan nods.

Well, he supposes that is good. Even so, as he slides the arm-blade into his belt like a sword, Kaito can't help but feel pity for his new tarkatan servant. What to do with him now? He didn't want to kill him but he has also never needed a servant, either. He initially accepted the offer of servitude just so that he wouldn't be killed by Shang Tsung. "If I send you away, what happens?"

Tortek blinks in surprise. "If you send Tortek away… Tortek will be killed by other tarkatans. Tortek lost to an Earthrealmer and begged for life. No mercy given to weak tarkatans."

Kaito listens and lets out a sigh. "Well then, I won't. I already went through the trouble of sparing you, no sense in sending you off to die."

The tarkatan gives him a strange look, unsure of his true motivations or reasoning. "What you do with Tortek then?"

He shakes his head. "I'll figure it out as I go along. For now, just follow me."

Kaito heads towards one of the throne room exits while Tortek limps a little bit as he follows along. He begins to search for Kitana along the ground floor. As he does, he asks his new companion, "So, what's it like in Outworld?"

Tortek grunts a small grunt, not used to small talk. "Smells better there," he sneers. "More blood on the wind and corpses on the ground."

"Yeah, must be nice in the spring." Kaito looks around the palace hall. 'Now, where could Kitana be...' he thinks as he narrows down his options. He continues to talk around while looking for her, speaking to Tortek. "So, who is the leader of the tarkatans?"

At this, Tortek excitedly replies, "The Emperor rules all tarkatans! But Baraka leads them! He is the strongest, the most fearsome!"

"Besides the Emperor, right?"

"None are greater than the Emperor!"

"Right. Sounds like a great guy." Having not found Kitana anywhere, he considers his options. The Lin Kuei may have already found Hydro's body, but the Black Dragon probably haven't found Rojack's. With Kano as Sonya's captive, he wonders who is leading in his stead. He decides to return to Rojack's body and see what he can do from there. "Follow me, Tortek."

"As you command, master."

Out of the palace, Kaito leads his new lackey to the mountain he hid Rojack's body on. As he makes his way to the bridge spanning the pit, he stops and spies two people fighting on it. He squints and looks on, discovering it to be none other than Johnny Cage! He appears to be fighting some green-clad warrior. Their battle is fast and vicious. As the green warrior leaps at Johnny, the action star glows green himself and surges forward, planting a kick right into his opponent's chest at what almost seems like superhuman speed. The warrior is knocked back as Kaito tells Tortek to wait behind while he runs up behind Johnny.

He makes it up to their battle just as the green ninja twists and kicks the actor in the face. The ninja steps back as Kaito helps Johnny up to his feet. "Hey, thanks," he says. "Hey, I remember you! You're that guy from the docks! How's it going, buddy?"

The green ninja hisses out a warning, strangely enough, his hands coiling and moving like snakes. His eyes are bright green and his skin is somewhat pale—almost green as well. "Who's that?" Kaito asks him.

"Oh, yeah, this guy," Johnny says nonchalantly. "I think he's a fan."

Kaito gets into a kombat-ready pose alongside Johnny, but the ninja, not up to facing two opponents at once, instead vanishes, his skin and clothing becoming transparent until nothing remains, and then it is gone. They both try to follow his movements but the invisibility of the warrior allows him to slip away completely unseen.

"Yeah, you run away now!" Johnny calls out. He relaxes and clasps Kaito on the shoulder. "Good work! We scared him off. I mean, I had the whole thing under control, but your help is appreciated. Oh, here!"

He takes out a photo of himself and a pen, signing it. He hands it to a stunned Kaito. It reads, 'To my best fan! – Johnny Cage'

"I'd frame that," he says with a smile as he hands it to Kaito and walks off.

It takes a moment for Kaito to register a response. "Hey, wait, where are you going?"

"There's a smokin' hot blonde and a thunder god waiting for me," Johnny says, and Kaito can't tell if he's joking. He suddenly remembers that Sonya mentioned a god earlier. There can't be a coincidence. Johnny waves as he says, "Catch you later!"

Kaito wants to follow, but realizes he still has Tortek waiting for him. He folds the photo and tucks it into his belongings before going back to fetch the tarkatan. He looks back the way Johnny left only to find that he is already gone.

'At least I got his autograph,' he thinks to himself. He and Tortek proceed up the mountain to Rojack's body.

"Who is he?" Tortek asks.

"Nobody important," Kaito quickly replies. "Help me drag him down, will you? Grab his legs."

They work together and drag him down the mountainside, leaving him by the pit entrance. He takes out the Lin Kuei symbol and tucks it into the man's hand. 'That'll just have to do,' he thinks. He turns to leave when he notices Tortek lifting up the man's leg, about to take a big bite out of it. "Woah! No, no. No eating! Bad Tortek."

"Tortek hungry," he protests.

"Well… I'll find you a different body or something. But not this one. I need to leave it here so somebody else finds it."

The tarkatan grumbles again, but complies and leaves Rojack's corpse be. Kaito looks out at the rising moon and considers where to go next to search for Kitana.

Heading down the path towards the beach where they originally landed on the island, Kaito and Tortek continue along the coastline, the latter grumbling continually about his hunger. Ignoring his companion's appetite until he can find him a suitable meal, and one for himself while he's at it, he walks along the sands and wonders if he will come upon Kitana sunbathing.

'Heh… Yeah, right,' he thinks to himself. 'Maybe her and Sonya, and a hundred other women too.'

But he does indeed spy someone further up ahead, sitting around a small fire and cooking something in a pot. Tortek's nostrils pick up the scent before his eyes do and he says, "Food! That's food!"

Kaito holds up a hand and stops the tarkatan from moving forward. "Yeah, but who's cooking it?"

The two of them look on and see a somewhat portly fellow sitting alongside the fire. He is dressed in simple brown clothing with wooden sandals. His face is bushy, with a big, black beard and his hair is pulled into a high ponytail. A jug sits in the sand alongside him and he opens a canteen to drink, sloshing it down and wiping his lips afterwards. Outworld, he resembles an old, fat drunkard.

As they draw near, he sees them and smiles, waving Kaito over. "Hello, hello my friend! Come, come! Share with me in my rice wine! Outworld's finest, or as fine as they can get it, hahahah!" He brings up the gourd and takes another large swig.

Kaito sits across from the man on the other side of his fire while his tarkatan lackey lingers behind. The man eyes the tarkatan with suspicion. "You are of Earthrealm. What do you have a mutant of the wastelands of Outworld following you for?"

"He's in my service. I beat him in Mortal Kombat."

"Yes, that much I can see!" the man laughs, pointing at the tarkatan arm-blade that Kaito openly wears on his hip. He brings his hand back slap to his belly, letting out a loud burp after doing so. "Excuse me! My manners are so poor these days. Introductions, of course! I am Master Bo' Rai Cho, of Outworld, in case the second part was not quite so obvious, heheh."

"Akayama Kaito, of… Earthrealm?" Kaito tilts his head. He seems quite normal for someone from Outworld—or at least, compared to someone like Tortek. "Are you in the tournament?"

He vigorously shakes his head. "Oh, no! I merely observe and offer council. I do not wish to see Earthrealm conquered." Tortek grunts in disapproval. "And I've fought and beaten many a tarkatan in my time!" Bo' adds.

Before things get heated, Kaito asks, "So, what are you doing here, then, out on the beaches?"

"I do not live near the sea where I come from. I enjoy the sounds of the waves crashing against the shore. It is peaceful, I think. If Shang Tsung did not own this island, it would be a good place for a vacation, eh? Now, come, come! Drink!" He pours from his gourd into a wooden cup and hands it to Kaito. After a moment, he drinks it and coughs it up; the liquid is very strong and lightly foul-tasting. "Hahah! A bit strong, perhaps, but you'll work up the gut for it."

Kaito nods. "Maybe. Maybe." He coughs again, slamming a fist into his chest to keep himself upright.

Thinking that perhaps it is indeed a bit much for him, he hands Tortek the drink, and the mutant eagerly gulps it down. Bo' lets out a single chuckle. "Never thought I would share my wine with a tarkatan, but if he is yours, I will allow it."

He pours the tarkatan another drink and then another, and soon enough, the beast is fast asleep, snoring off in the sand. "Guess his appetite wasn't so strong after all," Kaito muses. He turns his attention back to the old master. "So, where are you from in Outworld?"

Bo' shakes his head and waves. "I live by myself in a small cottage, not far from a few more peaceful villages."

"There are peaceful places in Outworld?"

"The Emperor hasn't conquered all of Outworld. It is true that most of it belongs to him, but many places could be considered independent from him. He allows kingdoms like the shokan and the centaurians to rule their own lands so long as they never question his rule or oppose him, and all send soldiers for his armies. He would rather focus his attention on larger targets, like other realms. I myself enjoy coming to Earthrealm for visits and training prospective students."

Kaito can't help but keep asking questions. "Students? Like who?"

"I have often taught at the Wu Shi Academy in China. A wonderful school, it is, though few there share my love of wine! Liu Kang and Kung Lao are two of my greatest students. They are fighting in this very tournament."

"I have met Liu Kang," Kaito replies. "...Sort of. It was very brief. He never mentioned that he had a teacher from Outworld."

"For a time he did not believe the stories of Outworld, but was happy to accept my teaching. Much rests upon his shoulders. Perhaps all of Earthrealm, but then again, we all have a part to play in this tournament." He takes another drink and shakes his head.

"Can you help me fight the Outworld warriors? Train me like you did the others?"

Bo' Rai Cho looks at Kaito up and down. "You are a fighter, there is no doubt about it. But this is not the time nor place. Perhaps, when this is done, you could travel to the Wu Shi Academy and train there yourself. If I am there as well, I would teach you."

"Forgive me for my curiosity, but what about Outworld? How big is it?"

He scratches his beard as he struggles to recall. "Outworld has absorbed so many realms... Edenia, the lands of the osh-tekk, Zaterra, Vaeternus, the kytinn realm, the homeworlds of the shokan and the centaurians... I cannot say how large it is, truly. Even before the current Emperor, in the time of the reign of the Dragon King, Outworld has conquered and absorbed other realms. Perhaps its size know no bounds, much like the ambitions of those who rule it."

"And the... Elder Gods? They put this tournament format in place to stop it?"

Bo' nods. "One tournament every fifty years. Ten straight victories secures dominance over another realm. It takes at least five centuries to earn the right to invade another realm, and Outworld has won nine against Earthrealm... thanks to its champion, Goro, and that cursed sorcerer Shang Tsung."

'Nine in a row…' Kaito thinks to himself. "This is more serious than I had thought. They didn't mention any of this on the invitation."

"I would not fret too much. I have a strong feeling in my gut that the Elder Gods have other plans for Earthrealm than conquest." He pats his belly, and as an added afterthought, says, "But that may just be the drink. Hahah!"

Kaito changes the topic to another one that interests him. "Do you have a map of Outworld?"

Bo' thinks for a moment, turns and reaches into his bag, taking a few things out. He gives an "Ah-hah!" and unrolls a scroll out in front of him. "It is not complete, but here are some of its lands. I purchased this from a wandering scribe for several koins and a bottle of fine wine."

He hands it over to Kaito who takes it and studies it for a moment. The landscape is draw in black ink and depicts a few continents of another world. It boggles his mind that such a place exists but this only helps solidify the truth in his mind. Bo' Rai Cho points to a small point on the map and says, "Here, this is my home. A small cottage at the foot of two mountains. The nearby town has a fantastic brewery!" He laughs and takes a drink. "Keep the map. A good souvenir for an Earthrealmer, I think."

Kaito puts the map aside for a moment after thanking him, setting it alongside his duffle bag, and considers asking for his help in finding Kitana. As an outworlder who doesn't wish to see Earthrealm perish, perhaps he is on her side. "Maybe you can help me, Master Bo'. I'm looking for a woman with dark hair and a blue outfit. Her name is Kitana. Have you seen her?"

Bo' Rai Cho leans back. "Oh... Kitana. I know of her, but I have not seen her." He strokes his beard, suddenly suspicious. "What manner of business might you have with the Emperor's daughter, hm?"

Kaito's eyes widen in surprise. "H-his daughter?"

"Yes, she is Princess Kitana, and quite old. Thousands of years, in fact."

"Well... she looks like she's done well for herself for being thousands of years old," Kaito jokes. "She saved my life and wants to help me save Earthrealm from the same fate that befell her home, but I didn't learn much else from her. She said that she's working in secret to help us."

Bo' nods. "I see... but can she be truly trusted? She is an assassin of great skill, but sometimes weapons of steel are not enough. She may be plotting something else entirely."

"What are you suggesting? That she's manipulating me? She saved my life."

"I wouldn't put it past a daughter of the Emperor to save others for favors."

"Well… I have killed two men for her. But she has assured me that it's for helping Earthrealm."

"So she says," is all Bo' says before taking another drink.

'Is what the old drunk is saying true? Could Kitana be manipulating me?' He thinks hard on this.

As if sensing his worried thoughts, the man gives him a chuckle. "Make your choices carefully, young one," Master Bo' advises, "and always be on your guard when dealing with women. Haha!"

He drinks some more before pausing for a moment and falling to his side. Kaito quickly moves over to inspect him, worried that something may have happened, but the man is merely asleep and is soon snoring loudly. The Japanese man looks back at Tortek and shrugs to himself, taking another strong swig of Bo' Rai Cho's brew and is soon snoozing himself.

The next morning, Kaito rolls over and groggily gets up to his feet. The fire is out and cold, though there is still some food left in the pot over it. Master Bo' Rai Cho is nowhere to be seen, but Tortek is still lying nearby, snoring loudly through his sharp teeth, his head partially buried in the sand. Kaito gets up and shakes himself off, brushing the sand off of his outfit.

He stirs the stew in the pot with a spoon and tastes it. It's rather good, as it turns out. He doesn't know what's in it but he's hungry enough that food is food. He nudges Tortek with his foot and the tarkatan is startled, but surprise quickly turns to hunger as he sees Kaito eating the stew. The pot is large enough for Kaito to eat his fill for breakfast and offer him the rest, which he hungrily and greedily gulps down, sticking his head into the bowl and chowing down.

'He really is like a dog,' Kaito thinks to himself, amused at the sight.

In the distance, a great gong rings. They both turn their heads and look as a flock of birds rises from the forest and heads out towards the sea. After another moment, the gong rings again—it seems to be coming from Shang Tsung's palace courtyard. He can see the building itself from the beach and wonders if the next stage of the tournament is beginning.

As the sun rises on the fourth day on the island, Kaito and Tortek head towards the palace. Following the same trail he's travelled a few times now, they pass over the bridge and under the archway into the courtyard. Many others have gathered here, including most of the remaining Earthrealm fighters. Another gong rings as Kaito and Tortek find a place to stand near the back and Shang Tsung stands from his throne overlooking the courtyard. As before, he is still old, but his eyes are as sharp as ever, scanning across the crowd.

"Kombatants! It has been nearly a century since our champion has had to personally face an opponent in battle. Today, that changes! He desires a challenge! Any who wish to face the mighty Prince Goro may now do so!"

The gong rings more and a massive set of doors slides open in a nearby wall. Darkness lies beyond the great stone doors and it appears to be a cavern—perhaps connected to the caves that Kaito explored earlier. A roar is heard from within that reaches every ear in the courtyard, loud and calling for blood. The roar is more like a monster's than a man's, and when the doors fully open, Kaito understands why.

On the other side stands Prince Goro, over eight feet tall and with four massive, muscled arms. Kaito's eyes widen as he enters the courtyard wearing a royal red cape along with a large belt around his waist with a jeweled symbol of the dragon. The warrior prince roars again as he strides into the courtyard with an entourage of warriors behind him, chanting the name, "GORO! GORO! GORO!"

Kaito looks on at the four-armed monster as he climbs into the courtyard's arena and looks upon the Earthrealm warriors. His skin is tan and mottled, giving his hide a thick appearance—almost like scales. Each of his arms ends in three-fingered hands and his massive feet feature only two large toes in the front. His strong facial features twist into a grimace as he takes in the sight of the challengers. "Who among you," he bellows, "is man enough to face GORO! Prince of the subterranean realm of the shokan, general of the armies of Outworld! For five hundred years have I remained undefeated, just as I will for the next five hundred years!"

He throws out all four arms, flexing them at once, the upper two above his head and the lower two pointing towards his waist. He roars again, intimidating all in the crowd as the Outworld warriors continue to chant for the champion prince. Kaito can't imagine fighting an opponent like that and managing to win. As Goro removes his cape and tosses it to a servant, he flexes all four arms again and the human can't help but think that he's like a wrestling producer's wet dream. He looks tough, alright, tougher than anyone else if he's been on top for five entire centuries. He can only imagine how old his race must live to.

Something draws Kaito's eyes, however. A small glint of light in his vision makes him look across the courtyard where someone is reflecting a small silver mirror at him from behind a pillar in order to subtly get his attention. Kitana! Once she has made eye contact she urges him over and Kaito begins making his way through the crowd as they watch Goro prepare to fight.

As the first human opponent enters the ring with Goro, Kaito keeps his head low and sneaks up to Kitana, who is wearing a blue veil over her face. The princess waits for him to step behind the pillar before asking, "Your mission, was it successful?"

He nods. "It was, but I don't think you've been completely honest with me, your highness."

"So you know... Yes, I am royalty. But I was that long before the Emperor adopted me."

Though still quite suspicious of her, he asks, "Adopted? You're not biologically related to him?"

"No. I am sorry for not telling you sooner, but secrecy is a valuable thing. There is more work to be done yet; the Black Dragon and the Lin Kuei will be preoccupied with each other, but there is someone else who must be dealt with. My instincts tell me the tournament will end tonight and one last piece of the puzzle must yet be put into place."

Nearby, the man screams as Goro picks him up with all four arms and brings him down onto his knee, shattering the man's spine. Kaito winces and can't bear the watch as Goro holds the corpse up and bows his head to a very pleased Shang Tsung.

"We have little time," Kitana says, also watching the battle from the corner of her eye. "Shang Tsung is already displeased with the Black Dragon and Lin Kuei. He has unleashed Goro to whittle down the remaining Earthrealm warriors."

"Let's not be too hasty, Princess. I'd like to know how you were royalty before becoming the Emperor's adopted daughter."

She looks back into his eyes. "My family once ruled from a realm called Edenia. My father, the true king of Edenia, was murdered, and my mother was made to marry the Emperor of Outworld. This happened when I was but a child. My mother later died. I have never seen my home realm, or if I did I cannot remember it, but I am told it was a beautiful place. Now my adoptive father seeks to do the same to your world, and I would see him denied his wish."

He listens to her tale and decides to believe her. She sounds genuine enough, and he trusts her from having saved his life. He leans in close and asks, "So then what's this 'last piece of the puzzle' you mentioned?"

"One obstacle remains that will prevent Earthrealm from being victorious. A wildcard in the tournament, one who fights for neither Earthrealm nor Outworld, but on the behalf of a dark realm known as the Netherrealm."

"And who is he?"

"He is a hellspawn, a spectre known as Scorpion, and he must be stopped. His power rivals that of Goro, but I have devised a trap that we may be able to lure him into while the others are busy watching Goro's spectacle."

Nearby, the four-armed prince picks up a human and roars as he pulls him apart, tearing his torso from his legs and throwing both aside. As before, Kaito finds it hard to look at the grim display of brutal power.

Kitana takes his arm and pulls him to one side so that they are further out of sight of the shokan. "I am not sure if my plan will succeed, but if it does, Scorpion will be removed from Shang Tsung's island and unable to return."

"Alright," Kaito says. "I'm in, princess, if it means I don't have to go up against that guy. What do we need to do?"

"Scorpion is here at the tournament for only one reason: he has been promised the death of Sub-Zero."

"They have a problem with each other?"

"That is putting it lightly," Kitana says. "We need to lure Sub-Zero into the palace dungeons, where Scorpion will confront him. While they battle, you must place the necklace you stole from Shang Tsung's tower upon the spectre's neck." She takes it out and hands it to him, putting the blue sapphire in his palm.

"And I take it he won't make it easy on me?"

"No. He is a trained ninja, the last of the Shirai Ryu clan. But this necklace will banish him back to his new home plane—the Netherrealm."

"An actual ninja?" Kaito asks. "From Japan?"

"Indeed," she replies. "But as I said, his clan is no more. Only he remains, and he himself is dead."

"Well, I doubt he's up to talking about home," he mutters.

"Scorpion has already planned a trap for Sub-Zero in the dungeons. Therein, he plans to ambush and murder the man."

Kaito holds up the necklace. "And what of this? Was this made specifically to banish creatures? Is there a spell or some kind of magic on it?"

"There is a spell upon the necklace, yes. The stone within it is known as a stone of passage—it allows one to walk between the realms, with the right magic. In this instance, I have placed a spell upon it to send someone to their home realm the instant they put it on. With it, we can send Scorpion back to the Netherrealm, long enough to stop him from killing anyone else in the tournament."

Kaito looks at the stone. "So then, how do I get Sub-Zero to follow me to the dungeons?"

"Tell him that the man who murdered Hydro will be waiting there for him. It isn't technically a lie, is it?"

"I suppose not," he chuckles at the irony. "But what of our earlier plan? To have the two groups fighting?"

"The Black Dragon are not here," she notes. "It appears their leader has been taken captive."

"He has, by Sonya Blade," Kaito tells her. "I might have helped her. Does this ruin our plans?"

"No, I think not," she replies, taking a moment to reassess the situation. "In fact, it may make it even easier. They will be looking for their leader, and all I will need to do is tell them where to look."

"Let me guess: the dungeons?"

She nods. "Sub-Zero and the Lin Kuei are here," she explains. She takes hold of his shoulder and points with her other hand to indicate them in the crowd. As it turns out, the icy warrior is indeed here to observe the champion. He stands with his arms folded and eyes narrow as he takes in the sight of the shokan annihilating his opponents. Other members of the Lin Kuei linger around him but none stand in front of him. "Deliver your message to him, and I will handle the Black Dragon. We will lure both groups to the dungeons. If our plan is successful, they will be distracted during the final and crucial stages of the tournament."

Kaito listens to her words before agreeing, "Alright, I'll go to him right now."

Above her veil, her eyes grow warmer. "Good luck to you, Akayama Kaito. Know that you have my gratitude for your help."

"Hey, all for Earth, right?"

Kaito pockets the stone and steps out from behind the pillar. When he looks back, Kitana is gone, having slipped away unnoticed—an easy thing to do while everyone is preoccupied with Goro tearing through the competition. Kaito starts making his way back into the crowd, heading back to Tortek, who hadn't even noticed Kaito's absence due to his awe of Goro's prowess in the ring. He taps the tarkatan on the shoulder and tells him to follow as he makes his way towards the Lin Kuei members to deliver his message to Sub-Zero.

As he approaches through the crowd, he is spotted by two of his fellow clan members. One of them is Asian, with thin facial hair on a face that seems perpetually scowling, accompanied by a dark-skinned warrior with braided hair. They both wear similar outfits, black and red for the former and black and yellow for the latter, with a matching symbol on their chests. "Hold," the one in red orders him. Kaito stops as both look at him with suspicious eyes. "You approach the Lin Kuei."

"I want to speak to Sub-Zero," Kaito says.

"But does he want to speak to you?" the one in yellow asks as he folds his arms.

"A challenge?" the other guesses. "A death wish?"

Kaito shakes his head. "A message, from the man who killed Hydro." At that, they suddenly are both pushed aside as Kaito comes face-to-face with Sub-Zero, who stares at him with cold, steely blue eyes. They both step aside as he speaks directly to the messenger, his very presence commanding their respect. Kaito can't help but feel a drop in temperature just from being near the blue-clad Lin Kuei warrior.

"And what might that be?" he asks. From his tone, he seems to have taken Hydro's demise personally and is invested in tracking down his friend's murderer. Fortunately for Kaito, he will not learn the truth of the matter.

"The Black Dragon plotted his death to gain more favor with Shang Tsung," Kaito tells him.

"We both fight for the sorcerer," Sub-Zero points out.

"But Shang isn't too happy with your results so far, is he? I mean, he had to bring out Goro to start really killing the Earthrealm warriors." At that, Sub-Zero looks back at the warriors behind him, who avert their eyes from his judgment. "Plus, with you out of the way, the Black Dragon will get paid more."

"We did find the Black Dragon symbol on Hydro's body," the yellow-clad warrior points out.

The red one seems unconvinced. "Those dogs wouldn't dare attack us. Would they?"

He turns his gaze back to Kaito and says, "I care little for the Black Dragon, but I demand to know where the man who killed Hydro is."

"He is in the dungeons beneath the island, with his allies, plotting their next move against your clan," Kaito tells him.

The warrior in red speaks up. "And how do you know this? Are you their envoy?"

"No. Just a concerned party." With Tortek standing behind him, Kaito certainly appears to be a fellow ally of Shang Tsung's, which serves to convince Sub-Zero of the truth of his claims.

Sub-Zero considers this latest news for a brief few seconds before turning to his subordinates. "Sektor, Cyrax, we move against the Black Dragon, but I want the one who killed Hydro."

They both nod as all three of them turn away, talking off into the crowd towards one of the courtyard's exits. Kaito smiles inwardly to himself at the success of his plan, but that's only one step. Now he needs to head down to the dungeons and find Scorpion when he reveals himself to Sub-Zero. He's still not quite sure how he'll get the necklace around the spectre's neck, but with any luck, he'll be too busy fighting his enemy which will give him an opening.

With Tortek following behind him, Kaito leaves the courtyard behind and moves quickly along the path that will take him to the dungeons. He had passed through them briefly yesterday but had not gone too deeply within them. Now he does so, moving into the innermost sections of the dungeon, past cells containing rotting corpses and skeletons alike. The smell is putrid in this place but he continues on. Tortek, despite being possessed of a heightened sense of smell, does not complain. 'Perhaps he is more used to the scent of corpses,' Kaito considers.

Moving past the cells, they march up into a large chamber lit only by countless candles that line the rocks surrounding the room, many of which are heavily melted, their wax running over the stones upon which they sit. The chamber features a large and long dining table that could host a dozen hungry mouths, but only two chairs sit at either end, both currently empty. The plates, however, are not; many contain the half-eaten remnants of a previously great meal, though whoever was eating here clearly didn't care to finish. Tortek is all too happy to approach the table and begin grabbing at the scraps left behind while Kaito investigates the rest of the room.

At one end of the chamber is a large throne upon a stone platform elevated from the rest of the chamber. The stone chair has four armrests and the seat has a large, well-used pillow upon it with regal embroidery. 'Goro's throne,' Kaito thinks as he looks upon it. He walks up the steps to it and runs a hand alongside one of the armrests and reflects on the size of the chair. Were he to sit in it, he would almost appear like a child.

As they are both distracted, they fail to notice that in Goro's absence, another dweller of the dungeons has come to look to pick from the prince's table, and it is not alone. In the shadows of the chamber, three-eyed beings peer out at them, their yellow-glowing eyes narrow and jealous of Tortek's feasting upon the remains of the shokan's meal. Deciding that since they are three and the human and tarkatan are but two, they charge out of the dark corner, running on all fours like apes.

Kaito and Tortek both turn to see the creatures emerge. They resemble gorillas in more than just their preferred style of movement, with their knuckles serving as additional feet, but also in size and stature, only mostly hairless and blue of skin. Their tri-ocular vision afforded by an additional eye in the center of their foreheads adds to their otherworldly look, along with the thick but short tusks jutting out from their pronounced under bite. Each of them is a brutish, muscular thing, banging their thick forearms against their chests as they holler at Tortek and rush him down to claim the food for their own.

Immediately dropping his inspection of the chair, Kaito runs to help Tortek as the tarkatan picks up a plate to smack the closest one aside before the other two tackle him onto the table.

He runs up to the one Tortek hit and swiftly punches the creature in the face as it gets up, putting it back down to the floor. He looks and sees the other two on top of Tortek, using their arms like clubs as they swing down at him on his back. Kaito grabs an empty silver tray and whips it like a disk into the back of one of them, drawing its attention. It beats its chest and charges towards him, profusely drooling all the while.

Backing up a few paces to stand alongside a pillar, Kaito dodges to the side as the lumbering beast runs into the stone column like a mad bull, headfirst. Kaito hears a thick thud as it makes contact and slides down to the floor. It seems either dead or unconscious. The first one he had punched, however, is back up on its large feet and grunts in anger, keeping him squarely in its sights.

Back on the table, Tortek manages to get his hand around the third beast's throat before pointing his other arm, the one with his only remaining arm-blade, at its head. He extends the blade, which shoots out and cleanly impales its head before he retracts it. He kicks the corpse of the creature off the table before sitting up and looking at Kaito, who has the beast between them.

"Stab it from behind!" Kaito orders, having seen the effectiveness of the arm-blade through the corner of his eye as he stared down all three eyes of his foe. His own hand reaches for Tortek's broken arm-blade on his hip, grasping it and preparing to pull it out.

The remaining monster roars at the human before charging. Tortek does as he is told, leaping from the table and shooting his fist outwards while extending his arm-blade, but due to the creature moving, he only manages to impale the creature's leg. This still results in the monster halting and dropping onto a knee, giving Kaito the opportunity to jump forward himself and stab it with his blade, wielding it like a sword. But he misses his mark when the beast shifts slightly, ending up only skewering its shoulder. He withdraws the blade as the enraged creature brings up a meaty fist to punch Kaito in the chest, which sends him sprawling backwards, before it turns to swat Tortek's arm away. It then charges at Kaito, who has his back on the ground, earning a kick to its face from the human as it nears but this is not enough to deter it.

It climbs atop Kaito and begins to pummel his face and chest with its club-like arms. All Kaito can do is blow the rain of blows from its strong arms as Tortek gets up to his feet and runs up behind the creature, managing to stab his arm-blade into its side, unfortunately missing its spine. The creature turns back and swipes at the tarkatan, knocking him backwards with a single blow. But this distraction gives Kaito the chance to angle the broken arm-blade upwards, and as the monster turns back to face him, he shouts and stabs upwards with it.

The monster lurches forward, its own weight adding to the depth of the penetration. The arm-blade passes through its chest and out the other side and in a moment the beast is no more. It grows very still as drool drips from its sagging jaws before Kaito struggles to push the body to one side. He stands up and pulls out the arm-blade, now bloody from its use, pausing only to momentarily wipe it clean on the dining table's cloth before sliding it back into his belt. He walks up to Tortek and helps the shaken tarkatan to his feet.

"Good work back there," he says with a smile, patting his servant's shoulder. Tortek, not used to compliments, can only humbly nod and avoid eye contact. He looks at the three bodies of the beasts and wonders what they actually are, but not for long.

With their battle against them concluded, a new noise reaches their ears as another fight is taking place in the dungeons. Kaito and Tortek leave Goro's throne room and look on as the Black Dragon and the Lin Kuei are fighting each other. Both watch as the warrior in red uses a pair of wrist-mounted flamethrowers attached to a tank on his back to ward off a pair of thugs. Nearby, the yellow-clad dreadlocked fighter uses some kind of flash-powder bomb to disorient an opponent before performing a skilled throw against him, slamming the man's jaw against the stone floor. The Lin Kuei certainly see to have the upper hand in the fighting, that's for certain.

But as they look on, Kaito doesn't see Sub-Zero anywhere among them. As the battle between the assassins and criminals rages, they hear a great shout from another chamber nearby. The two of them sneak away from the fighting, sticking to the shadows, to observe another fight happening at the same time. But even though this battle is between only two fighters, the ferocity and power displayed dwarfs the larger conflict in the other chamber.

Sub-Zero is facing down an opponent who looks very similar to himself, but where his clothing is blue, this opponent wears black and yellow. His mask, set beneath two stark-white eyes that burn bright in the darkness of the dungeon, is fashioned to resemble an arachnid's segmented body. This yellow ninja can only be Scorpion, Kaito realizes, and as he watches them fight, the power that Kitana spoke of becomes apparent to him. Scorpion is indeed no mere man, for his strength, speed and all-consuming hatred could only have been doubled by his transformation into an undead spectre.

"I will have your head!" Scorpion proclaims to his hated enemy before his entire body is suddenly consumed in flames. Both Kaito and Tortek look on, amazed, as Scorpion vanishes in the fires, only to appear in another font of flames behind Sub-Zero while drawing a sword to attack him with. In response, the ice warrior covers his entire body in a protective thick layer of frost, shielding him from Scorpion's attack. The sword strikes the ice and bounces off as the cold body-shield shatters. Sub-Zero sidesteps out of the protective stance, simultaneously conjuring a sword made out of ice in one hand. He brings the weapon up to clash against Scorpion's follow-up attack. Now the two of them duel with their blades, all the while staring each other down.

As fire and ice clash, they continue to watch in awe of the kombat. Kaito shakes himself out of his stupor, having nearly forgotten why he was here in the first place, and reaches into his pocket to take out the amulet. He holds it in both hands as he tells Tortek to wait for him. He begins to carefully plan his approach.

As Scorpion summons a fireball and blasts it into Sub-Zero's chest, sending him hurtling against the stone wall of the room, his back is fully to Kaito. Seeing his opportunity, he runs at the spectre's back with the silver chain of the amulet in both hands, ready to throw it over the resurrected ninja's head. Scorpion, despite having his mind singularly on killing his enemy, hears Kaito coming, and before he can use the amulet, the spectre turns and attacks with a fiery roundhouse that connects to the side of the man's neck. As Kaito hits the floor, Scorpion tilts his head in confusion at the appearance of the new warrior, not knowing who he is, but also not caring.

"Stay out of my battle, fool!" he warns. "Sub-Zero will die by my hands and nothing will stop me!"

Distracted by the appearance of Kaito, the spectre failed to respond quickly to Sub-Zero's next attack as he had to Kaito's. The Lin Kuei warrior jumps at the ninja, kicking out with both feet in a dropkick against his back. As Kaito crawls away, Scorpion rolls forward, brandishing a sword in each hand and charging once more to swing them. Their battle resumes in full force as Kaito clutches the amulet, determined to not give up. He watches as Scorpion sheathes both blades upon his back as he spins, stopping only to throw an arm out towards Sub-Zero. From his wrist flies the head of a spear connected to a chain. The razor-sharp point is embedded in the cryomancer's side.

"GET OVER HERE!" Scorpion shouts, pulling on the chain. But to his surprise, Sub-Zero grabs the chain with both hands and freezes it. A line of ice crawls up the chain quicker than the ninja can react to, reaching his arm and not stopping until he himself is entirely frozen in place. As the frost covers the spectre, Kaito realizes that this is his chance. He springs up to his feet and tosses out the necklace, which flies through the air—landing squarely around Scorpion's head and settling around his frozen neck.

Almost instantly, a great gust of wind picks up in the chamber, kicking up dust and rattling the bones of the dead hanging on the walls. Kaito shields his eyes as a bright light bursts into existence in the heart of the room, growing into a swirling red vortex resembling a whirlpool of red magical energy. Kaito looks on as the portal takes form, large enough for a man to pass through, and beyond he glimpses a hellish landscape of fire, brimstone and smoke, evoking imagery akin to Hell.

Scorpion breaks out of his icy prison as he is pulled towards the Netherrealm. He begins to fight it but cannot break free of its pull as he falls to the ground and claws at the stone floor while Kaito and Sub-Zero watch. "No! Vengeance will be mine!" he cries. His hand, still tightly gripping the chain connected to Sub-Zero, yanks the assassin towards him and the portal. "If I am to go to hell, I will take you with me!"

Sub-Zero struggles against the chain as Scorpion continually pulls him closer. The spectre's feet reaches the portal and are sucked within, whereupon they are grabbed by fiery skeletal hands of doomed souls dragging him closer. Kaito, not part of their struggle of life and death, watches and realizes he has a chance to help Sub-Zero escape. His mind races as he considers letting him accompany the yellow ninja to hell, effectively eliminating both problems. Kitana never specified what he was to do about Sub-Zero after dealing with Scorpion, but this could be a way to wrap things up neatly, he thinks.

On the other hand, part of him wants to give mercy to the blue-clad warrior. Scorpion is already dead, so it's easy to justify sending him back to hell, but Sub-Zero is still alive. Then again, he considers it unlikely that, were their positions reversed, Sub-Zero would give him the same mercy. As Kaito battles conflict within himself, Scorpion's waist reaches the portal and has pulled his enemy close enough to grab his legs. Sub-Zero continues to struggle but to no avail without help.

'They're made for each other,' Kaito thinks, passing judgment on the Lin Kuei assassin. Scorpion grabs his waist and pulls him into the portal with him as the spectre is fully pulled inside. Sub-Zero shouts and reaches out as the portal closes around him, his hand being the final thing to go through before the rapidly-shrinking portal closes. The wind within the dungeon ceases and the light fades, along with any hint of either Sub-Zero or Scorpion. After a moment, Kaito stands up fully, his heart beating.

The task is done. He looks over to Tortek, who looks at him with uncertainty. In the distance, he can still hear the remnants of the Lin Kuei battling the Black Dragon. "Come on," he bids the tarkatan, "let's get out of these caves."

Not having to be told twice, Tortek comes out of his hiding place and follows Kaito down a different hallway that will take them away from the battle. As they leave the dungeons and head out into the caverns, Kaito reflects on his choice to condemn Sub-Zero to Scorpion's hellish home. 'It's not my problem,' he thinks to himself. 'Besides, what's the worst that could come of it?'

He doubts he'll ever see either of them again.

* * *

 **From the beginning, I had always intended the player character to be a means for players to change the world around them through the choices they make. Deciding to help Kitana, or join with Shang Tsung, or save Sub-Zero from Scorpion, all of these things were moments where the players could have acted wildly differently. I've always thought it funny that, despite how "paragon" they tended to play Kaito, they never saved Sub-Zero in these early threads. Of course, there were moments later on when bad choices had to be made, but simply grabbing the man and pulling him out of the portal would have been truly a dramatic change from the rest of the timeline that followed. Of course, he probably would have tried to kill Kaito afterwards, because Bi-Han was a dick.**


	3. Into Outworld

**When we last left our hero, he engineered a plot with Princess Kitana to set the nefarious clans of the Black Dragon and the Lin Kuei against each other, so as to give the warriors of Earthrealm a better chance during the most critical moments of the Mortal Kombat tournament. With his newfound ally, the tarkatan Tortek, he worked to bring this goal to fruition, along with sending the spectre Scorpion back to the Netherrealm...**

 **Our story continues now.**

* * *

Kaito and Tortek carefully make their way out of the dungeons through a tunnel that opens up to the gardens. They find themselves amongst the many statues of past warriors, built to honor their great battles and achievements, though clearly no one maintains these gardens, as thick vegetation grows on some of them. The human finds himself a bit winded, panting as they walk, while the tarkatan warily keeps an eye on their surroundings, watchful for anyone who may have followed them. But it seems that they are alone; the Black Dragon and the Lin Kuei are too busy battling each other to have either noticed them or take up pursuit. Kaito sits his back against the base of the statue of a centaur and eases himself back into a calm state. Even though the deed is done, the small glimpse of hell he received was still unnerving, as were the final moments of Scorpion and Sub-Zero.

He looks up at the sky; it seems to be late afternoon. The sun will likely be just above the horizon soon, and then the darkness of night will follow. But his task is completed and that is all that matters for the moment; he resolves to seek out Princess Kitana once more and inform her of his success. He picks himself up and makes his way through the gardens with Tortek following dutifully behind him.

But he stops when he hears voices. He holds up an arm and ducks behind a large rock as he creeps closer. He peeks around it and discovers none other than Shang Tsung, standing comfortably with his arms behind his back. At first, Kaito thinks that perhaps this would be a good time to ambush the sorcerer, but then he sees who the man is speaking with: Johnny Cage. He doesn't catch the actor's words, but he does hear Shang's response.

"Challenging Goro, eh? You weren't supposed to fight him now," the sorcerer smiles. Amused, he then asks, "Are you that eager to die?"

Johnny's face has lost its smile; he's all business. "I'm not the one who's gonna die."

Kaito continues to listen in while Tortek sneaks up behind him, also trying to hear what is happening. The two of them watch as Shang Tsung speaks, walking in a semicircle around the actor.

"I see. You're very foolish... The true sign of a hero. You want to protect your friends, but make no mistake—they too will die, after Goro destroys you." His face is sinister, like a snake about to strike, but Johnny holds his ground and doesn't falter.

His face remains still and serious as he replies, "So what's the problem?"

Kaito can hardly believe that Johnny is challenging Goro. He was there with the others and witnessed the shokan's power for himself—does he truly think he can overcome such a foe? Kaito himself doubts that he could, if he were in such a position. But perhaps Johnny has some trick or skill that he has yet to unveil. He hopes the sunglass-wearing warrior isn't in over his head. Either way, Shang Tsung agrees to his deal as Kaito slips away from the stone, bringing Tortek with him.

As they move away, Kaito considers going to help Johnny, but his better judgment compels him to find the princess instead. As he crosses the stones, he suddenly feels a presence nearby, something strange yet familiar—but nothing comes of it and after a moment it fades. He looks around, drawing some curiosity from Tortek, but eventually he continues onwards.

'Weird... I remember feeling something like this on the boat...' he thinks.

He decides to search for Kitana at the palace, where he last saw her. But as they make their way towards the exit of the gardens, they stop when they see a small troupe of fox-masked guards waiting near it. Kaito's eyes narrow as he and the tarkatan kneel and spy on them from a hidden position behind a stone pillar. 'They must be waiting for Shang Tsung. Ambushing him here wouldn't do well either, not with these guards nearby.'

Not wanting to alert them to his presence, he and his tarkatan companion go back the way they came, into the stone tunnel that leads to the dungeons. From there they follow a few passages, sticking to the shadows, and end up in Goro's chamber, where his empty four-armed throne sits in front of the great table. Most of the food upon it has been cleaned off; only a few bones remain and scattered plates. Kaito and Tortek walk into the room and look around, but they appear to be alone. They see no one, especially not the shokan prince.

But as Kaito walks just a bit further into the room, he hears a noise from above and behind, like a blade being drawn of out of sheath. He rolls forward just as a tarkatan blade would have swiped across his neck as its owner snarls! At first, he suspects Tortek of treachery, but it turns out that fear is unfounded—it is another tarkatan. As he gets up on his feet and turns around, he beholds a larger, more intimidating and slightly spikier tarkatan approaching him from the shadows, stepping into the light of the chamber. His orange eyes blaze fiercely and his tannish skin and white outfit have faint layers of dirt and blood caked on.

Tortek pales when he sees who it is. "B-Baraka!"

Baraka, leader of the tarkatans, turns to point one of his arm-blades at Tortek. "You! I heard what you did! You swore to serve a pathetic human! You are NOT TARKATA! My blades will find your heart... after I kill your new 'master' that is!"

He turns now to face Kaito fully as Tortek steps off to the side, fearful of attacking the stronger tarkatan. Kaito gets his fists up as his new opponent snarls again, his eyes flaring with fury as he holds both arms in front of his chest in an X before pulling them apart, shredding his blades together and creating a shower of sparks that briefly lights up the floor around him. Baraka howls at him before lunging!

Kaito, having mentally prepared himself for this fight, anticipated an opponent much like Tortek was. He planned to get ahold of Baraka's arm-blades and disarm him much like he had done before, but when he attempts to, he discovers that this tarkatan is much more than a simple-minded brute—he has actual training and is much more skilled. As the human reaches for the blade, Baraka retracts it, spins and cuts Kaito across the shoulder with his other blade. He then retracts it as well and flips backwards, kicking Kaito with the heels of both feet as he does. Baraka lands atop the dining table as Kaito hits the floor with a bloody lip.

Both blades shoot back out of his arms and he stabs them into the table before ripping them towards the human, creating a small but harmless shower of woodchips that pelt him as he backs away from the creature. Baraka taunts him then, "Pathetic human! I will pick my teeth with your bones!"

As he gets up to his feet, Kaito realizes that Baraka is a much higher class of tarkatan warrior than Tortek was. As he attempts to formulate a plan, the warrior shouts and leaps at him from the table, diving towards him like a missile with both arms pointing forward. He manages to roll forward and under the attack, causing Baraka to retract his blades and land on the stone floor. Kaito kicks backwards and lands a solid hit on his back, but then must roll once more to avoid the tarkatan's backswing. He keeps his distance from the bladed warrior as Baraka roars at him again.

Kaito thinks about his environment. He has the table, the chairs, a few rocks on the floor, but not much else. He also has his own tarkatan arm-blade that he took from Tortek. Baraka himself does not immediately charge, apparently trying to size Kaito up. He holds up his arms and stands on one leg, the other positioned just over the ground. Kaito reaches behind him and feels for the tarkatan blade, taking it out and holding it like a sword. If nothing else, it could be useful to block Baraka's own blades.

Baraka seems amused by the human wielding the broken arm-blade. "I will take that from your corpse!" he promises. As he charges forward, Kaito uses his other hand to pick up a silver platter from the table behind him and throw it like a Frisbee. Baraka sees the platter coming and deflects it aside with his blades before creating a flurry of swipes in front of him that nearly cuts Kaito to ribbons, but the human manages to block the attacks with the broken blade. Though he can defend himself, he cannot find an opening in Baraka's onslaught to attack through. They part from each other and Baraka stalks around the human in a circle, looking Kaito in the eyes, his own orange eyes burning brightly with glee and bloodlust. The fact that Baraka is not charging in for the kill tells Kaito that he is merely toying with the human, taking his time and enjoying this fight.

"I gotta say," Kaito says between breaths, "you really look like you fell out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down."

Baraka hacks up some spit onto the floor in front of him. "That is how much you are worth!"

"Worth more than you," he replies, letting a bit of cockiness override his survival instincts and better judgment. The tarkatan swipes at him again, his blades nearly missing Kaito's eyes as the human moves his head backwards.

Baraka is now between Kaito and the cowering Tortek. Although Baraka is a trained and deadly foe, the human begins to notice certain patterns to his style of attack, and decides to attempt something daring when the tarkatan moves in for another go. As the tarkatan swings high, he ducks and dives forward with a slashing attack, cutting Baraka's leg with the broken arm-blade. The tarkatan shouts and tries to stab the human, but the quick Kaito is rolling forward to dodge the attack and on his feet once more, but rather than getting some distance between himself and his opponent, Kaito rushes towards his back.

As Baraka faces him, he is met with a furious head-butt as Kaito smashes his head against the tarkatan. Baraka, possessed of a strong and thick skull, is nonetheless stunned for a moment, giving Kaito a chance to slam an elbow into his chest and knock him back a few steps.

The wounded beast snarls and prepares to attack again when suddenly he is shot with a glowing green arrow. Both he and Kaito are surprised at the appearance of the sudden projectile, fired from the darkness of another part of the chamber. The tarkatan turns around to see this newest threat as it emerges; the arrow itself dissolves into spirit energy as he does so. Kaito watches this happen before turning to look at its owner. They both see a man emerge, tall with a strong face covered in tribal war paint. A feathered headband adorns his head of raven-black hair and his intense eyes stare at the tarkatan with a mixture of disgust and disapproval.

His garb seems to Kaito to resemble that of a Native American; an open woven vest with beads and rough leather pants and boots. Around his neck dangles an arrowhead necklace, and upon his headband is a blue and black symbol: that of a wolf's paw print.

The man looks at Kaito and says with a commanding voice, "Come, and let us finish this monster off once and for all." He holds out both hands and in them appears a pair of green tomahawks, glowing brightly in the darkness, wrought of the same energy the arrow had been. He strikes them together before holding them threateningly in front of him, his attention now focused once more on Baraka.

'I don't know who he is, but I'll take any friend I can get,' Kaito thinks, relieved that he apparently has an ally in this fight. Baraka, meanwhile, darts his eyes between the two of them as he slowly backs up. Kaito and the new warrior begin to close in, moving carefully so as to keep him cornered and flanked.

Kaito darts in first when he sees his opening, stabbing inwards with the broken blade like a fencer would probe the defense of his opponent. Baraka's defense holds true as he brings an arm back to block the stab, but the man takes advantage of an opening of his own and throws one of the spectral tomahawks into Baraka's side. Howling in pain as the axe vanishes, leaving behind a fresh wound, Kaito turns and leaps up to kick him in the neck. This sends him towards his other foe, who brings up his foot to kick him in the gut.

Baraka quickly realizes he is overwhelmed and outmatched. As Kaito and the stranger close in with their weapons, intent on finishing him off, his monstrous face twists into an even more feral scowl as he holds out his arms and spins in place with a speed that takes them both by surprise. The resulting whirling tornado of blades keeps them both at bay for a moment, causing them to step back and reassess their attack. As he stops spinning, he crouches down low and springs upwards, flipping over their heads and landing behind them. Rather than attack, however, he takes this opportunity to run.

Both Kaito and the man turn to watch the tartakan scamper into the shadows. Banishing his second tomahawk, he once more summons up a bow, another green and glowing construct, pulling back on the spectral string and letting fly a bright arrow when he lets go. Baraka reaches a pit and dives down into the misty darkness, causing the arrow to miss and strike the cavernous wall. The man's face is one of disappointment, but also determination. He banishes the bow as Kaito moves towards the pit, reaching out to grab the Japanese man by his non-wounded shoulder.

"No. He is merely an animal that thinks he is a man. He is not worthy prey to hunt down."

Kaito's brow furrows. "What about all that about finishing him once and for all?"

"All things will come with time. Perhaps you or I will finish him, but it need not be now. The important thing is that you are alive."

Kaito relaxes and lets out a calming breath, shaking out his arms a bit. His heart is still beating from the battle, adrenaline pumping through his system. "Thanks for the help back there. Baraka is one tough customer."

The man bows his head. "Think nothing of it. I am called Nightwolf, and it is an honor to help my fellow man."

Kaito shakes his hand. "You sound very wise, Nightwolf. I am Kaito, and it is a pleasure to meet you. Thanks again for the assist."

Hearing a soft whimpering, Kaito looks over at Tortek, who still fears Baraka's return and is staring apprehensively at the pit the tarkatan leader leapt into. Nightwolf stands behind him with a suspicious look in his eyes. "This one is your friend?"

"Something like that. He's my indentured servant after I defeated him in Mortal Kombat, but he's not all that bad. Kind of like a scared dog, really."

"I see."

Kaito helps Tortek up to his feet and hands him his old broken blade, but the tarkatan shakes his head. "You sure you don't want it?"

"They grow back," he explains. "Take a while. But grows back."

Nightwolf looks at the tarkatan's broken arm and Kaito's bleeding shoulder. "These wounds seem not so severe. I can help you with these; I know of a ritual. But it will take some time."

"A ritual? Are you like a medicine man?"

"A shaman of my tribe."

'Convenient,' Kaito thinks. He also thinks about his business with the princess, but also recognizes how useful a healing session could be. "How long would it take? Not that I wouldn't be grateful or impatient, I just have pressing concerns."

"I understand. If we begin now, it will conclude before the evening is through."

'That could be enough time to still catch Johnny Cage's match with Goro,' Kaito thinks. "Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. I think we could both use a bit of that."

"I know a way back to the shore. Follow me."

Nightwolf leads them out of the caverns. As they walk, he explains that it is better performed beneath the open sky, going on to say, "This island is not entirely of Earth, but enough of it remains that I can still call upon the power of my ancestor spirits to heal those who are in need." They reach a small clearing near shoreline and he crouches down before sitting cross-legged. "Sit with me." As they do so, Nightwolf begins to draw a circle in the sand before him, muttering some tribal incantation with his throat.

Tortek looks over at Kaito, still a bit uncertain of the shaman's intentions, but the human is willing to give him a shot. Taking a moment to collect his things, he stops when the book he stole from Shang Tsung's tower falls from his bag. He picks it up and looks it over for the first time since taking it. The book, entitled, "Legend of the Crimson Thunderbolt" is an ancient account of a Japanese warrior who was said to be a warrior who challenged the gods. His body was wreathed in red lightning, and it was rumored that he could split mountains in half with a crack of thunder.

The warrior, whose name is not accounted, challenged another ancient god of thunder and lightning to a dual to see who should truly be the greatest wielder of the storm, though some accounts describe that their duel was birthed from an argument over who was simply the greater fighter. Some say that they were fighting for something; some kind of prize, and the stranger and more obscure gods above them bore witness to their fray. The warrior of red lightning was defeated and cast down, killed by his opponent, and his blood rained upon the earth below, and everywhere it touched, rage followed in the people, each of them driven to a madness.

They say that the rage of the blood has passed down to the present day, and that the warrior with red lightning may yet one day return, but only when the last of his bloodline gives into a rage greater than any other.

But this is only the first half of the book. As Kaito prepares to read more, Nightwolf gets his attention and speaks. "The ritual is complete."

Kaito blinks a few times. "Hey, wait… I didn't feel a thing!"

"Then the ritual was a success."

Kaito looks at his shoulder, and sure enough, it is healed. Tortek's broken arm is similarly healed, and his broken blade has grown back. The tarkatan, having fallen asleep due to boredom, hasn't noticed. As Kaito marvels at the healing prowess of the shaman's ritual, the Native American runs his hand through the circle in the sand, wiping it clean and removing any evidence. After this is done, the man stands up.

"I must go now. My people need me."

"Your people?"

"Back in the realm of Earth, my tribe. Sadly, I have been eliminated from the tournament already and have no further business here."

Kaito puts the book aside on his things, quickly scrambling to stand up. He nudges Tortek with his foot, and the hound-like tarkatan startles into consciousness. Kaito holds out his hand to Nightwolf.

"Thank you again for your help," he says as they shake hands. "You may be leaving now, but will we meet again?"

"If you ever venture to New Mexico, perhaps so," Nightwolf smiles. "Or we may yet meet again elsewhere. The spirits of the wind and sky guide my footsteps, and they may see our paths crossing again."

He turns and walks away, further up the beach as the wind blows. Kaito looks down and sees Tortek examining his healed arm in amazement before he helps the tarkatan back up to his feet. But when he looks back in Nightwolf's direction, the shaman is gone and only the blowing wind remains, lightly rustling the trees and the leaves. He looks around, but there is no further sign of him, only the sun growing lower in the sky.

'What a curious fellow… I wonder when I'll see him again.'

Somewhere else on the island, a loud gong is struck. The sound causes birds to fly up into the sky and they both turn in its direction.

'The match!' Kaito realizes. He runs along the beach towards the path leading to the palace courtyard, with Tortek closely following. Running as they do, they make quick time in reaching it, but even as they near it they can hear a chanting.

"GORO! GORO! GORO!"

Thinking that the match has already begun, Kaito is relieved to see that it has not by the time he arrives. He spies Johnny Cage and other warriors from Earthrealm near him, all speaking to each other. The crowd of guards, minions and other Outworld thugs continue to chant as loud drums beat and the gong crashes again, heralding the arrival of the shokan prince.

The four-armed warrior appears from behind a set of great doors and roars as he throws his hands out, feeding on the crowd's energy and excitement. For their part, they only grow in their chanting for the massive warrior as he makes his way through the crowd. Goro reaches up to his neckline and removes a large red cape before tossing it away, pausing only briefly to flex all four arms and roar.

'He certainly likes his entrances,' Kaito thinks as he watches from the sidelines. 'He'd be great on a wrestling program… if he didn't kill all of his opponents.'

Johnny Cage, already waiting in the ring of stones, watches Goro enter with a fearless look on his face. As the shokan enters the arena, the actor reaches up and takes off his sunglasses to get a better look at his opponent. Goro walks brashly up to Johnny, reaching out with one hand and grabbing the man's wrist. With another, he grabs the sunglasses out of his fingers before holding them up and crushing them, chuckling as he does so, like that of a bully breaking a younger child's toy. Johnny looks up into Goro's eyes with a controlled reaction, not wanting to give him the satisfaction.

Shang Tsung then appears, moving through the crowd like a ghost, standing outside the ring. Goro looks to him as he speaks. "Finish him quickly. Pay me my tribute."

Goro looks back down at the actor. "This puny mortal will be no problem. I'll crush him in one blow!"

Johnny smirks. "Alright. Let's dance."

Shang wears a wicked smile as Goro throws up his arms and roars. To the surprise of all, most of all Goro, Johnny pre-emptively begins the match by performing a sudden split with his legs. He winds back his fist before thrusting it forward, punching Goro right in his half-dragon nuts.

The shokan's eyes nearly bulge out of his head as he cries in pain. His lower hands go to cup his bruised balls as the crowd collectively gasps. Kaito lets out a cheer, shouting "YES!" as he punches the shoulder of the spectator next to him without seeing who it is. As it turns out, it is an older man dressed completely in white, who gives Kaito a nasty look. He quickly apologizes, but then realizes that he recognizes the man; the same from the boat! Just as he is about to ask him some questions, he spies Johnny Cage scrambling out of the arena.

Shang Tsung looks at the wounded Goro with distaste as the shokan continues to cup himself. "Imbecile! Go! Finish him!" Goro regains some of his bluster and his wounded pride turns to anger as he climbs after Johnny Cage, who is currently scaling a nearby stone wall. When he reaches the top of the cliff, he runs into a cave. Goro is not far behind.

Everyone's attention is focused on the match, and soon people begin to follow them. The fighters from Outworld and Earthrealm both move towards the cliff and the path leading up to it, but as Kaito moves along with them, his eyes catch that Shang Tsung is not moving. The sorcerer, unlike everyone else, is not looking in the direction they went, but rather at something else at the opposite end of the courtyard. He nods as though giving a signal and Kaito is the only one who seems to notice.

The blonde woman, Sonya Blade, the soldier he met earlier—something from the wall suddenly comes alive and snatches her when nobody else is looking, slamming a hand over her mouth and pulling her into the shadows! Kaito only has a moment to realize that it's that green-clad ninja he saw before! The ninja with the captive Sonya then turns invisible, causing them both to vanish. Shang Tsung smiles, satisfied with this result, before moving off in the direction of the same passageway.

Realizing that he may be the only one who saw this, Kaito takes ahold of Tortek's shoulder and pulls him away.

"But the fight!" the tarkatan whines.

"No time! There's a green ninja in serious need of an ass-whoppin' and I know a sorcerer who isn't far behind!"

As Kaito follows the trail of Shang Tsung down the same dusty passageway, where the floor clearly displays signs of a struggle as Sonya was dragged off, he pauses when he hears someone coming around the corner. He prepares to fight, but the man that emerges is clearly from Earthrealm. He is a large man of African descent with a closely-shaved haircut and some facial hair. He appears to be wearing some manner of military fatigues. "Who are you?" he asks Kaito, just as suspicious as he was.

"Akayama Kaito. From Earth."

"And him?" he says, pointing at the tarkatan.

"He's with me."

He lowers his hand. "You see a woman come through here? Blonde, military, looks like she could kill with a gaze?"

"That gaze isn't doing her too good. She was just taken by a green ninja, in that direction," he points down the hallway where the trail in the dust can be seen.

The man punches a fist into his hand and cracks his knuckles. "Time to bust some head."

"Well, I'm going too," Kaito says as he follows the man. "Who are you, anyway?"

"Major Jackson Briggs, but if it's all the same, just call me Jax."

"So, she's with you?"

"I was captured on assignment and brought to this island as bait for Sonya. She came to rescue me, but I'm more than willing to repay the favor."

Kaito, Jax and Tortek run down the hall through cobwebs and over dusty floors, reaching the chamber at the end. This circular room is large, with many other passages leading into it. Kaito thinks that this must be underneath Shang Tsung's palace somewhere. The room has two levels, with a stone staircase leading up to another platform in front of a massive stone door that is currently sealed. At the bottom of the steps is their target: the green ninja is here, tying up an incapacitated Sonya Blade.

"Hey, sucker!" Jax shouts and the ninja whirls around. "Yeah, I'm talkin' to you! Step away from her!"

"Jax!" Sonya says through gritted teeth, struggling to get out of her bonds.

"Shang Tsung has plansss for this one!" the ninja hisses. "You will not interfere!"

Jax clasps his knuckles together. "Oh yeah? And who's gonna stop me?"

From the shadows of another passage comes an unearthly, echoing voice, as though many were speaking at once. "We are."

The three of them turn to face their new foe, a figure clad in red and black, with a glowing green gem on his forehead and matching glowing green eyes. His body is covered in black wrappings, making him look almost like a mummy beneath his ornate red outfit, but what little bits of his skin that can be seen look dark, sickly and rotten. As he steps out from the passage, a strange aura surrounds him, a green haze of strange lights that circle his person. He holds up a hand, similarly covered in black wrappings, creating a green orb in his palm before crushing it, sending small spirits screaming as they slip through his fingers.

Again his voice comes forward, a chorus of the damned. "We are Ermac. We are many, you are but three. We will destroy you for our master."

Kaito looks at Jax. "Uh, your call."

"I got the red one. You get the green one. Reinforcements should be here soon—we just need to hold them off!" He faces Ermac and holds up his fists. "You ready for this, chump?"

"Foolish mortal," Ermac says. "We will finish you quickly."

"Good luck," Kaito says as he faces the green ninja, who lowers his body to the ground with his hands poised like claws.

He hisses out a threat. "You don't know what you're ssstepping into, mortal!"

Kaito shrugs. "Wouldn't be the first time. How 'bout you give me the lowdown, green man? What's your deal?"

"I am Reptile!" he spits, green venom dripping from his mask. "I am the last of the zaterrans! The blood of raptors runs through my veins!"

"It's a shame they couldn't give you a more creative name," Kaito says with a smile.

Reptile, apparently quite insensitive, dashes forward. Kaito is unprepared for the reptilian speed of this foe, who slides along the ground like a snake between his legs and trips him. He gets up behind Kaito and puts his hands together, conjuring a green force ball that he launches at the human's feet as he tries to get back up. The green ball of goo explodes beneath Kaito like a bubble popping, launching him upwards. When he comes back down, Reptile turns and kicks him out of the air, sending him skidding across the ground.

With a hiss, Reptile straightens his hands and taunts Kaito with a laugh, but it is cut short as Tortek runs in and engages Reptile in close-quarters combat. With his newly-healed limb and arm-blade, he hacks and slashes at the raptor, who dodges and soon takes advantage of the feral nature of Tortek's attacking style. He steps to the side as Tortek thrusts forward with both blades, tripping him and throwing him to land on Kaito, who lets out a grunt as the tarkatan hits his back.

Kaito looks up at Reptile as he removes part of his mask, revealing a reptilian face beneath, with cracked lips, two thin slits for nostrils and yellow eyes. His mouth opens, revealing a long tongue dripping with green bile. He sucks in air and his throat bulges as he prepares to spew acid upon them, which Kaito recognizes as he pushes Tortek off. Reptile spits at them and the bubbling liquid hits the floor, dissolving it somewhat.

Nearby, Jax picks up a rock and throws it at Ermac, who holds up a hand and stops it mid-air. The rock glows green as his power, a soul-fueled telekinesis, compels the rock to fly back at the major. Jax narrowly dodges the attack as the stone hits the wall, exploding into small pieces.

This draws Reptile's attention for a moment, giving Kaito a chance. The human jumps into the air, performing a masterful flying kick right into Reptile's face. The saurian staggers back, bleeding green blood out of his nostrils. Kaito follows it up with more punches and kicks, forcing the green ninja back. Meanwhile, Jax continues to square off with Ermac, but is too busy dodging telekinetically thrown rocks to land any solid hits.

Kaito kicks Reptile again, who falls back when he trips upon the stone steps. The saurian gets up for one last stand and charges at Kaito, turning invisible as he does. This prevents him from seeing where his attack comes from, allowing Reptile to strike him in the side of his head, then again by drawing his claws down Kaito's arm. The human flails his arms in an attempt to strike at his invisible foe, but Reptile slyly slips away.

'Damn!' He clutches his arm. 'I need another plan…'

Kaito looks on the ground and sees Reptile's feet in the dirt coming from the right! Without looking, the human slams his fists into Reptile's face, making him reappear as the chameleon-like effect dissipates. Kaito shouts and kicks Reptile in the chest and face, before delivering a fierce spinning back fist that puts him down for good. The saurian falls to the floor, reaching up before slumping onto the ground, thoroughly beaten.

Suddenly, Kaito hears a shout as Sonya Blade is brought up to her feet. "Argh! Let me go! Get off!"

"Silence!" It's none other than Shang Tsung, holding her by her arm and yanking on her hair with the other hand. She shouts again but he continues pulling her back towards the door. Kaito prepares to run up and free her from his grasp, but at that moment he feels weightless as he rises above the floor. He looks down at himself in a panic and sees that he is glowing green as Ermac lifts both him and Jax upwards before tossing them across the room, away from Shang Tsung. The telekinetic warrior then floats up the stairs to stand alongside his master, as Reptile scrambles to his feet and crawls to the other side, hissing as he looks back down at them.

Kaito and Jax hit the wall and fall down. As they pick themselves up, Kaito sees a hand in front of his face offering to help pull him up. His gaze follows the arm to see who it is. "Johnny!" He clasps the actor's hand and is pulled up to his feet as the other Earthrealm warriors, accompanied by Princess Kitana, run up to join them. They all look up at Shang Tsung as he holds Sonya captive with Reptile and Ermac.

The man in white steps forth. "Release her, Shang Tsung!"

The sorcerer pulls on her hair again, making her let out a cry. "I think not! As champion, I exercise my right to challenge!" Shang Tsung declares. "I challenge... HER!"

The man shakes his head, shouting, "You are a coward, sorcerer!"

Shang cackles as the door behind him begins to open. Stone sigils twist and part as large slabs of rock are pulled apart by magic. Behind the stone door is a swirling, purple vortex of strange energy, looking like a whirlpool into oblivion, with small discharges of electricity. As soon as the portal is revealed, wind blasts forth from it, causing dirt and hair to kick up. They watch as his two minions stand guard while he drags her towards it as she kicks and screams.

He looks back upon the warriors of Earthrealm and declares, "Mortal Kombat continues... I'm simply changing the place! As we agreed!" Then he leaps into the portal, followed quickly by Reptile and Ermac.

"SONYA!" Johnny cries. They all run up to the stairs leading up to the portal.

"Where did they go?" Liu Kang asks the man in white.

"To the wastelands of Outworld, where I cannot follow. Shang Tsung means to finish the tournament by fighting her."

"But she can still deny the challenge!" Liu points out.

He nods. "You have learned all I can teach you, Liu Kang. You must go."

Jax slams his hands together. "Well let's not waste time! Let's go get Sonya!"

Kaito looks up at the portal, swallowing a little. 'Outworld...'

As the others begin walking up towards the portal, Kitana approaches him. "Your mission was a success, I take it? During the semi-finals of the tournament, neither the Black Dragon nor the Lin Kuei were present."

"Yes, they turned on each other in the caves," he explains. "I tried to find you, but it looks like things have only taken a turn for the worse."

She nods and wears a determined look on her face. "Worry not. We travel now to Outworld, and I know well the realm. We can stop Shang Tsung yet. I believe Liu Kang can defeat him."

Kaito looks up as Liu stands near the portal, talking to a man with a razor-bladed hat. He gives Kitana a cocky look and says, "Well, maybe he can, but what about me?"

At that moment, the man in white intrudes on their conversation, stepping up to Kaito. "What about you?"

Startled by his sudden appearance, Kaito looks at him strangely. "You... You spoke to me on the boat and knew my name. Just who are you anyway, old man?"

Kitana looks at him. "Old indeed. Lord Raiden has been the protector of Earthrealm for many millennia."

Upon hearing this, Kaito reevaluates the man. 'Millennia? Like her, is he older than he looks?'

"Remember always that appearances can be deceiving," Kitana tells him. "You never quite know who may turn out to be a god of thunder and lightning."

"A god?" Kaito says, attempting to not sound incredulous.

"Surprised?" Raiden asks.

"Well, to be fair, it's not the kind of thing you hear every day."

The thunder god smirks. "Truth be told, I am more surprised that you have made it this far. My divination did not foresee you being here." He then looks at Tortek, currently lingering behind Kaito, before resuming speaking to the human. "How did you survive without being eliminated from the tournament?"

"I have helped keep him hidden," Kitana explains. "He would have died were it not for my intervention. Since then, I have masked his presence."

"I see," Raiden says. "I admit, at first I thought you were fated to be destroyed on the island, and thus I paid you no mind. But now, if you are to join the others in battle to save Earthrealm, you require my help."

"Well, aside from the initial vote of confidence, thanks. I'll take all the help I can get, but why?"

"You are one of the few who have not been eliminated," he explains as the four of them walk to the stairs. "Each Earthrealm warrior who has not still has a role to play in the tournament."

Raiden pauses with Kaito as Kitana walks up to join Johnny, Jax and the others standing outside the portal, discussing their next move. Raiden holds up a hand and places it on Kaito's arm, causing him to give the god another curious look. "What is it?"

"You carry a power within you," he explains. "You do not know it, but it has been dormant all of your life, waiting to be awakened. You have never walked the path which would allow it to surface, but I can awaken this inner ability."

Kaito listens closely as their hair blows in the wind. "Have you been watching me? How could you know so much about me?"

"I am not the only one," he replies. "Shang Tsung brought you to this island for a reason. There is a legend..."

'The book!' he remembers. "Wait... Is this about the Crimson Thunderbolt?"

Raiden is about to speak when Liu Kang calls from the portal, "Come on! The portal is closing, we haven't much time!"

Raiden looks at him. "It is a story far too long to tell. Take this."

He reaches into his robes and produces a small, tiny orb that seems to surge with a kind of electrical energy inside of it, almost like a Tesla coil only much smaller, about the size of a golf ball. Kaito takes it from his hand and places it in his palm, feeling warmth radiating outwards from it. "If ever you wish to unleash the power within you, simply crush this orb. But be warned, there are consequences. Go. Earthrealm must be defended at all costs!"

Kaito takes the orb and looks at Raiden one final time before running into the portal behind everyone else, with Tortek behind him. He holds tightly onto the orb as he dives inside and is sucked between dimensions, feeling as though he is burning on the outside and freezing on the inside, two sensations that rapidly switch places. Travelling through a tunnel of light, he lets out a shout as he spirals and feels like he is being pulled apart. When the tunnel around him turns completely white again, he is flying out the other side, landing on his chest. He lets out a groan and looks up, and the sight steals his breath away.

The sky here is purple. Behind the clouds hangs an unfamiliar moon which shines upon an alien landscape of ruins and blasted wasteland. Further beyond, mountains and strange towers can be seen, silhouetted in the night sky. He picks himself up and looks around, seeing destroyed buildings and crumbled statues. Far away, fires can be seen, though whether they be campfires or burning structures he cannot tell, for they vary in size. A cool wind blows past him, chilling him somewhat as he sees the others gathering nearby. Kitana is briefing them.

"This is Outworld. My current home... as sorry as it may seem. Danger lurks around every corner here and we must be careful."

Liu Kang looks around. "Where has Shang Tsung gone in this dreadful place?"

Kitana points to a large tower in one direction. "There. This portal to his island is not far from his spire, where the sorcerer lives. He has most likely gone there, but we will not reach it without opposition."

Jax pumps his fists again. "Let's get moving! We've already wasted too much time." Kitana leads the Earthrealm warriors towards the tower, with Kaito and Tortek taking up the rear.

As they walk, Kaito looks at the small orb in his hand. "Pretty," Tortek says to him.

"Yes," Kaito nods. 'But what could Raiden have meant when he said there would be consequences? What manner of consequences? I'm getting tired of people always speaking in riddles...'

He spends some time wondering what it all could mean. Both Raiden and Shang Tsung seemed to know something about him that he did not, as both had been watching him. 'What do they know? Should I use this orb, smash it like he said? As nice as these 'hidden abilities' sound, what will it invite into my life?'

In the front, Kitana walks with Liu Kang as she looks upon some nearby ruins. She speaks, "Once, this world was beautiful, before the corruption of its Emperors came to be and they set their sights on conquering other realms. Now, due to absorbing so many places, Outworld is nothing but a mess of worlds smashed together, bound beneath an iron fist, their peoples subjugated and often eradicated. Their cultures, their histories, their very worlds all conquered and crushed into the dust of Outworld."

"Is there no way to restore the realms?" Liu Kang asks.

"There is... but it is difficult. Right now, we must focus on fighting our way to the tower. And speaking of which... I believe our welcoming party is forming." Her keen eyes move forward, further up the wrecked road, where another group is collecting to stand in opposition of the intruders and the princess.

They stop and stare them down. Kaito can pick out a few recognizable heads; Baraka, Ermac and Reptile. There is a shokan among them; only this one is female, judging by the impressive bust barely contained by a red one-piece. She cracks all four sets of her knuckles as another woman, dressed similarly to Kitana but with dark skin and alluring green eyes, takes out a silver staff and holds it in front of her in a battle pose.

The woman, clad in green to match her emerald eyes, is the one to call out to them. "You shall go no farther! Cease, Kitana!"

Kitana takes a few steps forward, putting her hand over her heart. "Jade, please, it is you who must stop! We must give Earthrealm a chance to fight in Mortal Kombat—the rules of the tournament are clear! Outworld cannot be held accountable for what may happen!"

"The rules are changed," the shokan says, her voice loud and domineering. "Shang Tsung will face the woman, and if she forfeits, Earthrealm will concede!"

"Not if we get through you first, four-arms!" Johnny calls out. "And you wouldn't be the first one I've taken out today!" The shokan reacts by slamming her fists together, her eyes blazing with fury. That seems to be the cue for everyone to prepare for battle, holding up their fists and staring each other down. Reptile hisses as Ermac glows green; Kitana takes out a pair of steel fans as Liu stands alongside her, ready to charge.

"Destroy them!" the female shokan cries, and at that both sides rush towards one another. They clash in furious conflict, fists and blades flying. Kitana's fans lock against Jade's staff while the shokan woman attacks Johnny Cage. Liu Kang and his friend with the hat face off against Ermac while Jax and Reptile fight each other nearby. Baraka set his sights solely upon Kaito and Tortek, obviously seeking to end their match from earlier, and charges at them with his blades out and at the ready.

Kaito can't help but smile and shout, "You're not running away this time!"

Baraka snarls and extends his blades. "Now, you will die!"

As the tarkatan swings, Kaito ducks and leads with a leg-sweep, taking Baraka off of his feet. He follows up with an elbow slam to the tarkatan's face as he gets up that knocks out a sharp tooth. The tarkatan roars and attempts to hack at Kaito, who now plays on the defensive, but that's when Tortek leaps in and blocks Baraka's attacks, sword-fighting with their arm-blades, each clash creating sparks. Baraka, being the more skilled warrior, sees an opening and kicks Tortek down. He prepares to deliver a killing blow, but not before Kaito tackles him and they both roll down a hill.

After they roll to the bottom, grappling each other all the while, Kaito and Baraka get up and square off. Baraka spins, creating a whirlwind of blades that Kaito cannot overcome. Taken by surprise, Kaito is knocked back and slashed across the chest. He falls down and backs up, but Baraka leaps down on him from on high and tries to impale him; Kaito raises his boots and plants them into the tarkatan's chest and kicks him backwards.

Kaito leaps up to his feet as Baraka recovers. The mutant strikes his blades together, creating a sparking projectile that hits Kaito in the stomach. The burning attack hurts, but he grits his teeth and bears the pain as he dodges Baraka's next attack and tries to follow up with a high kick to the face, but the mutant blocks it and instead bites down on Kaito's shin, sinking his teeth deeply into the flesh. Kaito shouts in pain.

Tortek runs up behind him and tries to stab Baraka, managing to impale the back of his leg. Baraka stops biting and legs go to whip around and attack Tortek.

As he holds his bleeding leg, Kaito looks up as the larger Tarkatan overpowers the smaller one. Tortek fights valiantly, but is outmatched. Baraka once more forces him back onto the ground and plants a boot on his chest before holding up his right arm-blade high and preparing to bring it down to chop off his foe's head.

As he lies wounded, Kaito opens his palm and looks upon the orb. 'Ah, the hell with it!' He then squeezes it as hard as he can, flexing his arm. The orb shatters in his grasp but does not cut his hand; on the contrary, he instead feels a surge of power rush through him as the electrical energy contained within is let loose, spilling out and revitalizing him! Kaito's eyes go wide as they turn white for a moment, his entire body suddenly wreathed in light. He looks at his hands, lightning jumping between his fingertips, before he leaps upwards. His leg no longer hurts, allowing him to run at Baraka from behind and deliver a devastating shocking punch, jolting the tarkatan and sending him flying a few meters away.

The tarkatan shakes his head, looking back and growing surprised at Kaito's new appearance. His arms are covered in lightning as the human breathes heavily. As Baraka gets back up, Kaito holds out his hands and clenches his fists, discharging small bolts of energy as he does so. He then holds them in front of himself, ready to fight once more.

Baraka spits and stands up. "Just a trick..." he mutters, extending his arm-blades out again. "Die!"

Kaito sees him coming and leaps back from his swipe, realizing that not only does he feel energized, but faster as well! Baraka stabs at him, but Kaito uses his new speed to catch both arm-blades. "Need a jump start?" he asks before shocking the tarkatan through his boney protrusions. Baraka is shocked and stunned, and when he lets go, Baraka falls backwards, unconscious.

The newly-charged human looks at his hands, smiling at his newfound might. 'Never mind!' he thinks with glee. 'There's no way I could regret this decision.'

He looks upon the unconscious Baraka, who has now tried to kill him and Tortek twice. He raises a hand and prepares to finish him, but hesitates when he hears a voice speaking nearby. It doesn't belong to any of his allies, who are still battling at the top of the nearby hill, which can only mean one thing: more trouble.

"Ohhhh, he's suddenly much more interesting, wouldn't you say?" The voice is feminine, seductive and dangerous.

Another woman speaks. "Mmm, yes, positively... electrifying."

"I was going to say 'shocking'," the first one replies.

"I am going to say 'dead'," a third one concludes.

Kaito turns around and sees three beautiful women approaching him, wearing black leather outfits that reveal much of their skin, almost like BDSM fetish garments. They carry knives, swords and other dangerous implements. Two of them have creamy skin and hair as black as night, one with a white streak going down one side, while the other is amazon-like, with dark skin and white hair. They stalk in a wide circle around him, speaking to each other as they do.

"What should we do, Kia?" the one with the white streak in her hair asks.

The other one, with long hair that reaches far down her back, replies, "I don't know, Sareena. How should we kill him, Jataaka?"

"Quan Chi says he wants this one alive. Only cut off the parts he doesn't need to live." She holds up a blade, as do the others, as they stop walking.

'So, is this what they all wear in Outworld?' Kaito looks at Tortek, who is slowly starting to recover, but these women are focused solely on him. He holds up his hands and speaks, his humor covering up how little he likes the current situation of being surrounded. "Tell me, ladies, where do you do your shopping? Hot Topic or—"

One of them, the tall, black one, leaps forward and kicks him in the back. The short one, with the white streak in her hair—Sareena, did the other say her name was? —punches him in the chest while the one with long, raven-like hair drop-kicks him from the side.

Kaito lands next to Tortek. He picks up his head and shakes the tarkatan. "Come on, buddy, I need some help here..." When he gets no response, he gives a small curse and gives Tortek a short jolt to wake him up. The tarkatan shouts and leaps to his feet from the touch and looks around. Kaito jumps up alongside him to face the women, who regroup to stare them down.

"Aw, look, he has a little pet," Sareena says.

Kaito cracks a smile. "Yeah, I'm great with animals and tarkatans, as it turns out. The one over there, Baraka? Take a look at him and figure out what's going to happen if you mess with me."

The tall one is undeterred. "You face assassins of the Netherrealm, foolish man. And soon you shall face Quan Chi."

Kaito narrows his eyes. "And who is this he, anyway?"

The three women smile and walk towards him, swaying their hips while they hold up their weapons. "You will find out soon enough," the raven-haired maiden says. "For now, you play with us."

Kaito looks up the hill briefly. Unfortunately, they are between him and it. "Sorry, I'm trying to help save my world. I don't have the time to play with children right now." Kaito charges at them, intent on leaping over their heads, only to be knocked back when all three of them perform a simultaneous high kick. As he hits the ground, Tortek grabs him and helps him up to his feet.

The tall, humorless one speaks. "You aren't. You're playing with demons. We are Quan Chi's personal enforcers!"

Kaito rubs a bit of blood away from the corner of his mouth. "And what do you enforce, exactly? A terrible taste in fashion? I mean, don't get me wrong, I can get down with all the leather, it's just something you usually save for the bedroom."

Sareena smiles. "It will be fun to break you when our master arrives."

Kaito smiles back. "Heh... I'd like to see you try, beautiful."

When they take another step closer, Tortek leaps in front of Kaito and tries to attack them. For a moment, he does a good job holding them at bay, enough for Kaito to get on his feet. The tall one deflects his blades with her stickles and the raven-haired one performs a roundhouse kick and knocks him to the side. Once Tortek is out of the way, this gives Kaito a clear shot at them. Putting his hands together and focusing his energy, he then thrusts his palms outwards and blasts lightning at them. The electrical bolts hit the metal of their weapons, shocking them and causing the sexy assassins to drop them.

'Can't believe that worked,' Kaito thinks with a smirk. He takes advantage of the moment of temporary stunning and leaps at all three of them, knocking them down with a shoulder clothesline. He grabs one of their weapons and prepares to use the chain to tie them up.

Kaito advances on them when he suddenly hears something that sounds like a scream, getting louder and coming right at him! He turns and sees a bright green skull flying towards him, which hits him in the face and explodes, knocking him backwards.

The three demons roll onto their backs and vanish in clouds of black smoke, retreating behind their master, who has graced the battlefield with his presence. As Kaito gets up once more, he looks and sees all four of them standing atop a nearby stone platform, and although he was amused by the three women in leather, nothing about this new man causes him delight. His skin is white as chalk, his eyes surrounded by black paint. He wears a dark outfit, black and blue and adorned with strange markings, with metal spikes emerging from its shoulders. His white forehead is disrupted by black lines emerging from his eyes and red markings that surround a ruby placed centrally above his brow.

In one hand the man holds another green skull, glowing with magic, which he holds aloft. It levitates a few inches above his palm, which tells Kaito he isn't dealing with any ordinary fighter. He reminds Kaito of a sorcerer like Shang Tsung. As his three woman stand behind him, he scowls as he looks upon the human and the tarkatan.

As Kaito gets back up, he helps Tortek to his feet before walking forward and looking the strange man in the eyes. "Quan Chi, I presume," he says in a low tone.

The man speaks in a deep, mysterious voice. "So, you are the one who banished my servant Scorpion to the bowels of the Netherrealm."

He hesitates, but answers truly. "Yeah, that was me. Was he your man? Makes sense, I guess, with how spooky you look. You mad?"

"Inconceivably."

Kaito shrugs. "What? Can't you just magic him back?"

"Scorpion is lost in the lowest levels of the Netherrealm, where even my power as a demon sorcerer fades. However, while I put my plans into motion to retrieve him, the question of what to do with you remains. You inconvenienced me, so I think it only fitting that I do the same for you."

"Bring it on, whitehead. I already beat up your BDSM slaves back there; I can take you, too."

Quan Chi smiles, a truly unnerving sight. "Oh, I have no intention of dealing with you myself. But your friend, on the other hand... He could serve for some amusement."

Quan Chi raises his hand, banishing the conjured skull, though it still glows green. Tortek suddenly stiffens and gargles a bit as his eyes glow green and purple, causing Kaito to look at him with concern. "Tortek? What is it? ...You alright?"

The tarkatan, his eyes pale and blank, now turns towards Kaito and extends his arm-blades, moving towards him somewhat sluggishly yet purposefully.

"Tortek... Tortek!" Kaito shouts, but the tarkatan does not listen or heel.

Quan Chi laughs a deep, maniacal laugh as his puppet dances at the ends of his strings of mind control. His three assassins move in front of him, just in case Kaito gets any ideas of stopping him from controlling the tarkatan. Tortek continues to drag his feet towards Kaito, drool falling indiscriminately from his fangs.

"Man, I thought we were past this point in our relationship," Kaito mutters as the tarkatan brings up his arms in a threatening manner. He leaps back as the mind-addled hound swipes at him, before looking back up at Quan Chi and trying to figure out a plan. Although all three women are now standing in front of their master, ready to protect him, there is a gap he could exploit between Sareena's legs, and as he is on a lower plain than they, he could hit Quan Chi's torso if he aimed it right.

'Not the kind I'd like, but I'll take what I can get,' he thinks as Tortek swipes again, this time with more ferocity. 'I could throw something, but I have nothing to throw. I still have Tortek's old arm-blade, but that wouldn't do too well.'

He then looks back down at his hand, focusing some lightning up. 'Well, I do have something to throw after all.'

When the tarkatan lunges again, Kaito dodges the attack by twisting down and aiming his hand, closing one eye to aim. Manifesting his power and focusing his anger, he grits his teeth and fires a concentrated bolt of lightning that flies between Sareena's thighs, just missing her and striking Quan Chi in the chest. The demon sorcerer is knocked off his feet by the surprising shot, dropping his hands and the mind control. The three demon girls go to help their confused master as Tortek shakes his head.

Kaito looks at him and smiles, patting his shoulder. "As if I'd kill you."

"But I almost killed you once," he points out.

"Well... Water under the bridge, right?"

Tortek seems confused. "Where bridge?"

Nearby, Quan Chi is helped to his feet and he looks down upon them with fearsome eyes. "Bah... An impressive shot, I concede. I tire of these games, however."

"Oh, are we getting serious now?" Kaito asks with a smile. "In that case, let me know when you're going to bring your A-Game."

He holds up a white hand and points it at Kaito, who prepares for some kind of projectile or other offensive spell, but it turns out to be neither, but no less dangerous. His black lips curl away from his teeth as he says, "I think it is time to finish your meddling in my affairs!" With a combination of some strange mystical gibberish and a wiggling of his fingers, Kaito feels the wind pick up around him along with a growing noise. He turns around and sees a vortex opening behind him, much like the one that dragged Scorpion to hell and brought him to Outworld.

The purple and green portal swirls open, a rip in the fabric of normal reality that grows larger and larger, and Kaito feels himself being pulled in. Tortek stumbles and trips over a rock, but stabs into the ground and holds himself there with his arm-blade. He shouts as the wind picks up, pulling his feet into the air as he desperately holds himself in place. Meanwhile Kaito tries to hold his ground as his clothing, belongings and hair whip backwards towards the portal, pulling on his skin as he crouches down. Quan Chi laughs as his portal grows more potent with each second. The human grits his teeth and digs his heels into the ground, but to no avail—the portal is too strong!

Taking a cue from his tarkatan ally, Kaito takes out his broken arm-blade and stabs it into the ground in front of him, holding on for dear life. Nearby, however, Tortek's blade slips and the tarkatan falls backwards into the portal, disappearing from sight. He watches this happen and tries to reach out to him, but he is too far away. Almost losing himself, he brings his hand back and holds as tight as he can onto the blade in the ground.

Quan Chi folds his arms, growing increasingly impatient. He knows he could throw a screaming skull at the human, but he decides it is work better suited to one of his minions. He looks back and focuses on Sareena, nodding at her to do what must be done. She understands her master's command and takes out a knife from her backside before jumping down from the platform and approaching Kaito.

He looks up as the beautiful—yet deadly—woman approaches him and a plan formulates in his mind, one born of desperation more than practical sense. When she nears him to stab, he lets go and instead lurches forward, grabbing onto her arms! Kaito jumps up, letting the portal carry him backward, along with the very surprised assassin, and in the blink of an eye they are both sucked up into the portal, which vanishes afterwards, leaving Quan Chi and his two other women behind.

Pulled into another twisting, spiraling vortex, Kaito was flung to an unknown place, his only company being his tarkatan manservant and a sexy demon assassin with orders to kill him. When he is spat out of the other end of the wormhole and lands, he picks himself up and sees them both lying nearby, similarly recovering.

'I've had a hell of a day,' he thinks as he groans. 'I need a vacation when this is over...'

* * *

 **This thread concluded on something I had wanted from the beginning, which was to get the protagonist out of the rigid storyline around him and allow him to explore the setting of Mortal Kombat on his own (or rather, for the players to do so). But I've never regretted not having him there during the tournament, as it was always an easy way for the players and PC to meet other important characters, establish backstory and "ground" the story in an easily-understandable place for those new to the setting. But now, having gotten out of the events of the first tournament and film, I was free to create a whole new section of Outworld to explore. By now, people were getting the hang of things, so I think the first few threads really did help give us an idea of who Kaito was and where he could go, character-wise, before setting him free from the background of MK1.**


	4. The Mighty and Undefeated

**When we last left our hero, he had become separated from the other heroes of Earthrealm near the conclusion of the Mortal Kombat tournament. This was due to the schemes of Quan Chi, whom Kaito had inconvenienced by sending Scorpion to the deeper levels of the Netherrealm, where Quan Chi has difficulty traveling. Seeking to inconvenience Kaito in much the same way, he sent the human to a random location in Outworld, far away from any help, with only Tortek, his tarkatan ally. But Kaito managed to grab onto and pull Sareena, the demon assassin and vixen, into the portal with him. Now the three of them are somewhere in Outworld, and Kaito remains uncertain of Earthrealm's fate.**

 **Our story continues now.**

* * *

"RARGH! DIE!"

Kaito's eyes shoot wide open as Sareena lunges at him, knife in hand. He reacts as quickly as he can, rolling to the side as she slashes at him. He rights himself and holds up his hands as he tries to talk down the killer woman. "Woah, woah! Cool it!"

"Do you have any idea what you've done?!" she says, throwing the knife at him. It zips through the air as Kaito bends his head, narrowly avoiding the fast projectile, but not quickly enough. It cuts him across the eyebrow, leaving a red line behind before it impales a tree.

Kaito drops back, raising his hand and blasting her with lightning as he falls. The exchange of attacks takes only half a second, and an observer like the half-conscious Tortek could blink and miss it. Sareena grunts as the lightning hits her in the chest, putting her down as Kaito brings a hand up to his forehead and rubs away some red blood. "Damn," he mutters as he gets back up. Sareena pushes herself up on her elbows and looks up at him as he points his hand at her again. She doesn't flinch, though she does understand the threat of him firing off another bolt. "Now, are you going to try that again?"

She narrows her eyes but doesn't say anything. Kaito takes a moment to look around and try to figure out where he is, as Shang Tsung's tower is nowhere in sight. 'Well, the sky is still purple,' he notes as he looks up. 'So… probably still Outworld.' The terrain is much different, however, from where he was prior to entering the portal. As opposed to the blasted wasteland of ruins, debris, shattered towers and battlefields, this is a relatively tranquil forest. The grass is green, though everything tends to look a little bit watered down beneath this purple sky, and a gentle breeze causes the branches to sway.

Sareena shakes her head. "You ignorant fool… Do you have any idea where we are?"

"...Uh, no?"

She sits up more. "Precisely! Quan Chi meant to deposit you in a random place in Outworld, to 'inconvenience' you as you did him! But now I'm stuck here with you!"

He looks at her and Tortek, then shrugs. "I can think of worse people to be stuck with."

She stands up, dusting herself off, but Kaito keeps a hand pointed at her. "You are going to escort me to Quan Chi's fortress, or I am going to kill you. Understand?"

Nearby, Tortek groans. "Urrgh... Lady talk too loud..."

"You're telling me," Kaito says. He looks her in the eyes and asks, "And just why would I do that, when I'm pretty sure that I can beat you? I mean, no offense, but I already tangoed with you and your other BDSM buddies."

Sareena smiles and shakes her head. "We were only toying with you before. If I were to take a fight seriously, I would kill you where you stand."

He can't help but let out a confident chuckle. "Really, you don't say..."

"But that's if we were to do proper battle," Sareena points out. "I can already tell that you are a heavy sleeper. Sneaking up on you and slitting your throat while you snore would be all too easy."

"How brave."

She scoffs. "Bravery means nothing, fool. I am a demon assassin of the Netherrealm."

He cocks his head. "You know, when I pictured demons, I didn't exactly picture someone quite like... you."

She places her hand on her hips. "No? That's intentional. My beauty makes it easier to get closer to my victims and kill them. Try to keep that in mind."

"Right, I'll do that." Kaito looks around. "So... Quan Chi's fortress, eh? Where might that be?"

"On an island in the middle of one of Outworld's seventeen oceans."

"...Well, that narrows it down a bit, I'd say. So we just find water and swim, huh?"

She scowls. "We will secure transport once we find an ocean."

Still keeping a hand pointed at her, Kaito turns and kneels down to Tortek, offering him his hand to get him up on his feet. After pulling him up, he asks, "You alright, buddy?"

The tarkatan groans. "Head hurts..."

"Yeah, I figured. Come on, let's figure out where we are."

Dropping his hand, Kaito leads Tortek away from Sareena, who loses some of her bluster as they both show her their backs. "H-Hey! You can't just walk away from me! Turn around!"

"Nice meeting you," Kaito calls out over his shoulder.

She throws another knife past Kaito's ear and it sticks into a nearby tree to get his attention. He stops walking and looks back at her through the corner of his eye.

"You will NOT turn away from me!" Another knife is in her hand, ready to go.

He shrugs. "If you're so powerful, I'm sure you can walk."

"That—That's not the point! I will not walk the wastelands of Outworld by myself! I say we go this way!" She points to her left.

"But I'm already walking this way," Kaito replies as he continues along his way, now far enough away that he needs to shout.

"You sure 'bout this?" Tortek asks. "We could kill her; then nobody knows."

"Nah, I don't think it's worth it," Kaito replies. 'Besides, I have a feeling that any second now, we'll hear her coming along.' After a moment, he hears Sareena running up behind him and keeping pace, walking in silence. 'Hah. Knew it.'

For a time, they all walk in silence. Sareena eventually moves to walk more alongside them than behind them. Tortek keeps shooting her suspicious looks, but Kaito is more fascinated by the environment around them; the trees, the plants, even the rocks. He begins to feel something he hasn't felt for quite some time, and he felt it on the island as well: wanderlust. The island was still familiar to his home realm, but this is an actual other world he is exploring! Every step he takes makes him more curious to seek out and explore everything he can.

'Not quite an alien world, but close enough,' he muses.

Suddenly, he feels a sharp point in his back. He stops walking and looks at Sareena, who is pointing a dagger and holding it against his spine. Tortek stops and sees this as well before growling threateningly and shooting out his arm-blades, but he makes no move so long as she is simply holding it. Kaito stares into her dark eyes, trying to discern her intent.

"I could have killed you just now," she tells him as she slowly draws the blade up his back. "You were distracted."

"Perhaps so, but you said yourself that you don't want to be out here alone. If you kill me, you'd have him to deal with," he points his thumb at Tortek. She casts a look at him as he growls again. "So, I have to wonder: if your boss made a portal here, why doesn't he come and pick you up?"

"I already told you, the location was random."

Kaito smirks. "And you know this for certain? Maybe he doesn't feel like coming to collect you. Either way, you're free to wander off alone. But if you're going to stick around, I think we should stop playing these games, because all we're doing is wasting time."

They glare at each other, each one not wanting to back down. But after a moment, she lowers her weapon. "Fine. We'll do things your way, for now." In response, Tortek's blades shoot back up into his forearms and he closes his drooling maw.

"Glad we have an understanding," he says, before deciding to change the subject and lighten the mood. "So... Nice weather for Outworld. What season is it? Death? Do you know?"

She slides the dagger back into a holster on her leg as they resume walking. "I'm used to the eternally burning flames of hell," she deadpans.

He raises his brow. "Edgy. So, Quan Chi seems like a shitty boss."

"One does not get to choose whom they serve in the Netherrealm. I belong to the Brotherhood of Shadows."

"Is that like a fraternity or something?"

"They are the dark assassins, mystics and sorcerers of Shinnok, lord of the Netherrealm, corruptor of hearts, defiant of the Elder Gods and master of all darkness."

He can't help but let out a small laugh at all of those titles. "He sounds like a nice guy too. So is Quan Chi more like a middle-management kind of guy, or...?"

Sareena glares at him. "I do not wish to speak on Quan Chi or Shinnok. Lord Shinnok killed me once for disobedience and I'll not have it happen again. Death is most unpleasant."

Ignoring her request, and rather interested in the fact that she had once perished, he asks, "You died for disobedience, eh? What's the story behind that?"

Looking away, she softly replies, "Not one I wish to retell."

"Oh, come on, we've got a long walk ahead of us. Look," he points at the forest ahead, "there's nothing for a while."

She lets out a sigh and talks. "Once, not too long ago, a mortal ventured into the Netherrealm. Our master sent Kia, Jataaka and myself to deal with him, but I was foolish enough to help him defy my masters, thinking he could help me escape that infernal place. I was killed, but he was able to escape."

He gives her a curious look. "So, you were originally motivated to leave hell in the first place, and now you're out. Why do you want to head back?"

"I already told you, I was killed, reduced to my base form." She meets his gaze, lowering her face somewhat. "And I assure you, it's nothing like I am right now. Strange as it may sound to you, I like having this form and I do not wish to die again."

"I suppose I can understand," he shrugs. "Anyway, who was this guy?"

She speaks somewhat wistfully as she recalls him. "He was a mortal, with the power to freeze." Kaito stops walking when he hears those words, which draws her attention. She faces him and asks, "What? Do you know him?"

For a moment, Kaito debates on what he should tell her. He does indeed know such a mortal, or rather knew of him, having seen him only a few times. Of course, the biggest dilemma he faces is whether or not to tell her what he did to him. How would she react? The look on her face is one of curiosity, but also suspicion. 'Perhaps it would be best to just be honest, and see how she takes it,' he decides.

Facing her fully himself, he says, "Sub-Zero."

"Yes," she says, her breath betraying a rise in excitement.

He averts his eyes as he explains, "When I threw the necklace around Scorpion's neck that sent him to... that place you guys keep mentioning, he was fighting Sub-Zero at the time. He dragged him into the portal with him."

She seems very interested in this information. "Sub-Zero was the one who killed Scorpion originally. He had a burning desire for revenge."

"You can say that again," he whistles.

"But they were fighting, and they would still be fighting in the Netherrealm, correct? There's a chance he may yet live?"

He scratches the back of his head. "...Maaaaaaybe? I don't know. I mean, he killed the guy once, right? Couldn't be too hard to do it again."

Sareena blinks a few times, deep in thought. "And when you banished Scorpion, there was no way to save him? Sub-Zero, I mean."

Kaito remembers distinctly that he could have saved him, but did not. He looks at her and speaks truly. "Yeah, I could have. But I didn't, because it wasn't my fight and it wasn't my job. Sub-Zero belonged to the Lin Kuei clan, and they were killing their fellow Earthrealm warriors for Shang Tsung. If I was going to save Earthrealm, Scorpion had to go, and he was the one who took Sub-Zero with him, not me. Sure, I could have grabbed him out of that portal, but he wasn't my ally."

He watches her as she reacts to his news, rather passively. She closes her mouth and considers this information. "I hope he did not die. I was never given the opportunity to thank him."

Folding his arms, all he can offer her is, "He had powers greater than mine. He could handle himself."

When she doesn't reply, he decides to continue walking. Tortek follows quickly, but she lags behind for a moment in thought before moving to catch back up. For a few minutes more they walk in silence, and so Kaito decides to speak to his other companion.

"So, any idea where we are, Tortek?"

The tarkatan shakes his head, pausing to sniff. "Tarkata do not roam these lands... unfamiliar smells. None of my kind here."

"Well, great. Who knows how long we'll be wandering." He laughs and sighs. "And to think, I joined the tournament to get away from all of this wandering I did back on Earth. If only I had a…"

Suddenly, he remembers something. The map, given to him by Bo' Rai Cho! Stopping to take out his things, he quickly unrolls it and studies it. Unfortunately for him, the size of the map is daunting, considering he is in the middle of a forest. Sareena peeks over his shoulder. "Why didn't you mention you had a map?"

"Forgot I had it," he replies. His eyes scan across unfamiliar places, such as 'Living Woods' and 'Lost Edenia' with no way to know where he is. "Unfortunately, I have no way to orient myself to this map. Damnit."

Sareena taps her chin a few times as she looks around. Upon looking up, she sees a large tree that conveniently reaches above many of the others around them. "I have an idea," she says, taking out a knife. Kaito stands up as she approaches the trunk of the tree, looking back at him. "Give me a boost."

After observing the tree, he nods and moves up to it. He cups his hands and kneels down to let her stand on his palm. "Watch the heels, sister," he grumbles as her stiletto-like shoes nearly stab him. He lifts her up to the nearest branch, whereupon she uses the knife to scale the rest of the tree upwards. Both Kaito and Tortek watch her go, though the former can't help but catch a glimpse of her rear end beneath that barely-concealing red and black sash.

He coughs and looks away when she looks down at them.

At the top of the tree, Sareena surveys the lands around them. She shouts, "I see a desert, some mountains, and a thick forest beyond this one." As she says each three, she points in their direction.

He cups his chin and thinks about their options. 'Well, there's no guarantee that any kind of settlement will be found in any of them, but at least if we climb the mountain, we might get a better sight of where we are.' As Sareena climbs down, she sits on the last branch and looks at him expectantly.

"Aren't you going to catch me?" she asks after a minute.

"You're like a demon ninja assassin lady, you'll be fine." He motions to Tortek as they begin to walk in the direction of the mountains. Sareena, amused, uses the branch to swing out of the tree before walking to their side.

They begin the trek to the mountains. Kaito leads the way as they find a trail that twists and turns throughout the purplish landscape. Further on, they begin to see a light through the trees, one that looks like a lamp. Excited at the prospect of meeting a native of this land, he hurries along with the others closely following, where they eventually come to find a shack, resembling something of an ancient Chinese hut. It is located along the old trail and is at the foot of the mountain. An old man sits out in front of it, sitting on a porch underneath the burning lamp. As they slowly near his home, Kaito notes that the trial splits off in two, with one going up to the mountain and another leading out of the forest.

The old man, a white-bearded fellow with a walking cane and blue robes, opens his eyes as he hears their footsteps. He looks at them and speaks in a coarse voice. "Halt! All who mean to traverse the mountain pass must first be warned!"

"This should be good," Kaito says, approaching the old man. "Hello! I am from Earth. She is a demon from hell, and my friend over there is a monster. We got this great act, it's called "the Aristocrats!""

Nobody laughs.

The old man points his stick and shouts, "Silence! Heed my warning now: these mountains are home to a great warrior, who has tamed the fierce monsters who live upon it! He lives upon the peak, and all who disturb his warrior's meditation must face him in battle or perish! If you mean to avoid him, you must take the road that leads to the south, the far way around the mountain."

Putting his hands on his hips, the human asks, "And who is he? What makes him so special?"

"He is Rokuro the Mighty! Rokuro the Undefeated!" He waves his stick for dramatic effect.

"Impressive titles. Which road is the road to the south?"

The old man points to the right road, the one leading out of the forest. Kaito nods and says, "Thanks. Are there any villages nearby?"

"I know nothing," the old man says. "I live here in peace."

Kaito looks at his house and feels his belly begin to grumble. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to give some weary travelers a meal, would you?" Tortek's ears perk up.

The old man moves to stand up. "Very well. I am nothing if not hospitable." He moves to his door and slides it open. "Come inside, I have trapped game."

Kaito and Tortek eagerly enter, though Sareena lingers in the doorway. The interior of the old man's hut is very simple and plain, with only small amounts of furniture. Kaito sits on his knees in front of a small table as Tortek crouches alongside him. The old man gathers some food from his kitchen, mostly dried and slightly salted meat, along with a small bit of wine.

He brings it over for them and sets it upon the table with two ceramic cups. Kaito thanks him with a bow of his head as he brings the cup to his lips and drinks. It is slightly bitter, but not terrible. Tortek forgoes the wine and chews on the meat, shredding it with his large fangs.

The old man sits across from them as Kaito sets down the cup. "What is your name?"

"My name is hardly important," the old man says.

"You should be careful to accept a meal from someone who keeps secrets," Sareena cautions them, still standing in the doorway with her back to the frame.

"I'm a good judge of character," Kaito says, chewing on his portion of the meat. He nods in approval of the taste. "Did you catch this yourself?"

"I hunt and I fish in the nearby stream," the man replies. "There are good fish there." As Tortek chomps away voraciously, perhaps the epitome of lacking table manners, he continues, "You asked about villages… I do know that there are a few not far from here. But I know not where. People tend not to venture into these woods during these troubled times."

Kaito takes another drink. "What manner of trouble? You mean that guy on the mountain?"

"Rokuro is a beast, a brute, a monster of a man, but no, I meant in the wider region. I hear only whispers of dangers in the north," he says, waving boney fingers. "Foreigners, bandits, invaders, petty squabbles. I care nothing for it all. I am too old for such things."

"Is this Rokuro really as bad as you say?"

"He breaks the spines of men for fun! Any who disturb him are brought to ruin by his mighty, stone-like fists." The old man shudders. "Then he tosses their corpses from the top!"

Kaito chews in silence for a few moments. He is intrigued by this potential opponent, but has other matters on his mind currently. "I wonder if you could help me orient a map," Kaito asks him. "We three do not know where we are, but we have a map and—"

He shakes his head. "I have not seen a map for centuries."

"Centuries? Well, that's certainly impressive. We humans only live for one, if we are fortunate." Kaito chews on a piece of jerky as the old man closes his eyes and nods.

"Yes, your lives are shorter than most throughout the realms. A blessing and a curse. We who live long lives lose much along the way." He grows quiet as he pours himself a glass and drinks the wine, and does not continue.

Kaito observes him for a few seconds before finishing his meal. He thanks the old man for his hospitality and moves to leave with Tortek and Sareena. Kaito looks at the road leading out of the forest as Tortek and Sareena stand behind him. As his gaze shifts between the two paths, Sareena asks, "Do you mean to climb the mountain?"

"Well, it'd help to get a view from up there, and I'm not afraid of someone with a few titles like 'the undefeated' or whatever. I mean, I was invited to the Mortal Kombat tournament."

"Most people are invited to die," she points out.

"Yeah… but I didn't." He begins walking past the old man towards the mountain path, and the elderly man watches him as he passes.

Nearby, Tortek quietly follows him. Their demonic accomplice is not as silent. "If we see the ocean from the mountain, we will travel there," she more orders than suggests. "As I said before, Quan Chi's fortress lies upon an island in the middle of one of Outworld's seas."

"Yes, I'll march right up to the front door of the sorcerer responsible for my current situation and politely return his assassin. 'Oh, pardon me, Sir Chalkskin, I believe this is yours.' That'll go well."

"Do not mock me," she warns in a humorless voice.

"Maybe wear some normal clothes, then," he replies as the path begins to ascend upwards.

She mumbles something but Kaito ignores her, as he has since she started making demands—he is travelling his own path, and she is welcome to follow, but he will not obey any orders given to him by someone who merely an hour ago tried to kill him.

The trail is mostly smooth, though it does not appear to have been travelled in some time. After a while of walking, they can see over the tops of the forest trees and soon they can glimpse things that are further away. Kaito continues to lead the way, though as before he isn't opposed to making some conversation.

"So, Tortek, you like food right?"

The tarkatan eagerly nods. "Food nearby?"

"Calm down, we just ate. I'm just wondering what your favorite food is."

"Meat!"

Kaito can't help but smile and roll his eyes a little. "I mean, what kind of meat?"

The tarkatan seems utterly stumped by the question, as though he's trying to really work out in his head what it means. He looks at Kaito and, in a confused tone, answers, "…Meat?"

"Chicken, fish, beef, pork? People, dare I say?"

"…Meat is meat," is all the tarkatan can say.

"Right, well, if I ever take you to Earthrealm we'll get you educated properly on the difference."

"Good meat?" he asks, his eyes growing with childlike wonder.

"Oh, the best. No man meat, though. That's illegal."

"But man meat is best meat!"

"But you just said—" He stops and looks at Tortek, who is smiling as though he just made a joke. The tarkatan cackles as Kaito smiles and shakes his head. "Alright, I'll give you that one. Good one." Even Sareena seems to let out a soft chuckle, if only at the silliness of their interaction.

Not much longer, as they continue to climb the mountain path, Kaito begins to think about finding a place to sleep for the night. With no sign of how far off the peak is, he calls the group to a halt as they come upon a cavern. Looking inside the dark entrance, he can hear the sounds of running water. Of course, the path still continues up the mountain to where Rokuro awaits, but a small detour couldn't hurt, he reasons.

"I could use a drink," Kaito muses aloud to himself before stepping into the cave. Tortek and Sareena follow along after, the latter of whom crossing her arms and acting disinterested in any path that doesn't lead to the top. Following the sounds of flowing water, Kaito finds a smooth, worked floor leading to a large grotto that shines with a magnificent blue color. Above, the cavern roof opens up to the sky and plants hang down from the opening.

"This place is beautiful," he says, his voice slightly echoing off the walls. Thick, green foliage hangs over the shimmering water, which radiates a kind of warmth, an aura unlike any Kaito has ever felt. He places his hand over the surface, listening to the nearby trickling waterfall that feeds it. "I wonder if it's safe to drink."

Before he can disturb it, however, a voice echoes through the cavern, quiet yet distinct. "Who are you to disturb this sanctum?"

Kaito immediately rises and looks around, as do his companions. There is nobody in the open, save for themselves. "Who am I speaking to?" he asks.

The voice returns, just as mysterious as before. "I am the guardian of this place. You are intruding in this sacred domain. Prove your worth to me to partake of the Wellspring of Shun-Kuto, or suffer the consequences."

Kaito puts his hands on his hips. "Well, I know how things work around here. I'll prove my worth in Mortal Kombat! I challenge you, guardian!"

There is silence, at first, but then the voice returns again. "Such is the way of an upstart warrior. But none can reject the challenge of Mortal Kombat."

The human leans over to Sareena and whispers, "Is that true? I was just saying it to sound cool."

"You idiot," Sareena shakes her head. "Mortal Kombat is a sacred ritual. Invoking it is something you can't just do flippantly, unless you wish to die."

"Well, I didn't know that!"

Nearby, the foliage covering one of the walls shifts and changes, with plants turning aside to reveal a humanoid figure. The three of them watch as he emerges amidst a collection of pink flower petals, some of which fall into the water. He stands about average height, with his appearance fully disguised by the ninja-like outfit he wears. His mask, an artistic depiction of a narrow face with two dark slits for eyes, matches the pink color of the rest of his outfit. In fact, from what Kaito remembers of Sub-Zero and Scorpion's outfits, this one rather resembles them—save for the pink, flowery, almost natural motif he's got going on.

"I accept your challenge." He positions himself before Kaito and bows. Kaito does the same, taking a moment to breathe deeply and set aside his belongings, before both of them prepare to fight in Mortal Kombat. Tortek and Sareena back up and stand off to the side.

For few seconds, they both stand still, sizing each other up. Kaito makes the first move and leaps at the pink ninja, hooking his leg behind his and taking him down to the stone floor. Before the ninja can recover, Kaito kicks him in the face and goes in for a hold while he is down. He manages to grab the man's arm, but he couldn't possibly anticipate what happened next.

The ninja vanishes within his grasp, turning into a series of flower petals that slip out of his fingers and slide away. He watches them flow across the floor as though carried by the wind before they spiral upwards into a humanoid form. The ninja explodes from these petals and throws his hands out, shooting them at him! Kaito rolls back as the razor-sharp petals stick into the ground where he just was, and realizes how lucky he was to have avoided them.

"Prepare to feel nature's sting," the pink warrior says as steps back and holds up his hands, his fists growing a series of thorns that seem to drip with a kind of toxin. In particular, green thorns sprout out of his knuckles.

"You're an odd one," Kaito says, getting up to his feet.

The ninja rushes at him. Kaito holds his hands back and places his palms together, gathering his inner energy. He thrusts them forward and summons forth a bolt of lightning, much like he did against Quan Chi, which strikes the surprised warrior in his stomach. He falls back, but quickly rolls and flips up onto his feet. Moving his hands slowly in front of his masked face, he steps back defensively and reassesses Kaito as the human's arms are briefly wreathed in electricity.

Kaito smirks and says, "You're not the only one with nature on their side. The storm is part of nature as well!"

The pink ninja opens his palms and lets his arms flow about the air. "Let us see, then, who shall triumph—the strength of the earth, or the noise of the sky!"

Vanishing once more into a cloud of petals, a gust of wind rushes past Kaito that carries them behind him. The pink ninja leaps from the petals once more, attacking Kaito with his thorny fists. Kaito deftly fends off each attack before attempting a feinting punch to try to follow up with a more powerful kick. It fails, however, as he trips on a root suddenly grown out of the ground. With his opponent on his back, the flowery warrior summons two more roots that pin his hands to the ground, wrapping around his wrists. Kaito flexes his arms and tries to break free, but cannot.

The warrior leaps into the air and prepares to land on Kaito. Desperate, he attempts to kick up at the ninja, who dodges the attack and lands with his legs on either side of his chest. The roots pull more tightly as the warrior prepares to punch Kaito with his thorny fists. Closing his eyes, Kaito summons up an electrical discharge around his person. The roots catch fire and burn, quickly deteriorating around his wrists. The pink ninja is forced to leap back, but is unharmed by the discharge.

Kaito stands up and prepares for another go, holding up his fists, each of them glowing with electrical power. Nearby, Tortek watches with rapt attention while Sareena sits upon a rock with her legs crossed, somewhat amused by the proceedings.

This time, Kaito charges at the warrior and meets him head-on, attacking him with a vicious series of blows. The warrior is put on the defensive, blocking each one with clever motions of the hand and leg. Kaito grits his teeth and doesn't let up, furiously attacking the warrior from every angle he can manage, letting the Bloody Hands style come out in all of its ferocious glory. Again and again he punches and kicks, each one as strong as or stronger than the last, but each one is blocked by an elbow or an arm.

"You are very angry," the warrior observes amidst blocking, his voice calm and serene. "You are much like the lightning you wield—powerful, loud and fast. A shame that you are little other than that."

"Quiet!" Kaito says as he attacks again, switching his method by trying to get ahold of the warrior's arms or neck.

Again the warrior slips through his fingers, becoming as flower petals and blowing across the water. He reforms on the other side. Once there, Kaito faces him as he brings two fingers in front of his mask and speaks in the same calm tone.

"A storm rages within you, but you cannot control it. You seek to wield its power, but cannot grasp how. Instead, like lightning, you lash out and strike with abandon."

"Come on, fight me!" Kaito says, running and leaping across the edge of the water to kick at the warrior, who side-steps out of the way.

"A shame that lightning never strikes the same place twice," the warrior says, amused. Kaito roars and goes in for another attack. He misses this one as well, though the pink one doesn't retreat very far.

An idea works its way into his head, and as his hands are covered with electricity, Kaito claps them together and creates a flash of white light that fills up the grotto, making Sareena and Tortek nearby cry out in surprise. The pink warrior seems dazed for a moment, allowing Kaito a critical chance to charge a fistful of electrical energy and punch the man, transferring it to him and knocking him down. He hits the stone floor and rolls away as Kaito shakes off his hand.

As the warrior picks himself slowly back up, Kaito smirks. "It may not strike twice, but when it does, it hurts like hell."

"Perhaps... but when the storm passes, as every storm does, the earth remains below!"

Kaito chuckles. "Alright, look, can we stop with the metaphors now?"

In response, the pink fighter raises his hands and roots shoot up from the ground, snatching Kaito's feet. The warrior again throws the razor-sharp petals, this time cutting Kaito's arms as he tries to block. They slice across his flesh, drawing small lines on his skin, with one even slipping by and cutting his cheek. The warrior leaps at Kaito and kicks his blocking arms aside before delivering a series of rapid punches to the gut. Kaito bears these punches, gritting his teeth, before he grabs the man's shoulders and jolts him, sending him flying backwards once more.

Leaning down, Kaito burns the roots holding his feet and frees himself. Across the way, the man gets up once more and breathes heavily, as does his opponent. They both look at each other as they pant but neither immediately holds up his arms.

"You are very persistent, for that, I cannot fault you," the pink ninja compliments him.

"And you're pink."

They prepare for what will be the final charge against each other before dashing in. The human focuses all of his energy into his hands as he does, leaving a white, crackling trail of energy behind him. Kaito roars as they meet; the warrior attacks high, but Kaito goes low, and with the speed of a lightning bolt, shoves both hands against the man's stomach and lets all of his energy out. The room lights up with the bright discharge, causing Tortek and Sareena to flinch, the force of which sends the man flying back on a wave of electrical energy. His arms flail and he shouts in pain as he falls into the water, which swallows him and crackles with excess energy.

Kaito stands straight and breathes easy as he feels completely drained. He sits on the edge of the pool as he waits for what comes next, watching its surface and waiting for his opponent to return.

Nearby, the surface of the water breaks as the pink warrior, his clothing visibly burnt in some places, crawls out of the water, choking somewhat and coughing up water from beneath his mask. "You... you..." he tries to speak.

"You might want to take a minute," Kaito advises him, holding up a hand. He himself wipes the sweat from his brow. The warrior sits on the edge of the water like he does and similarly looks into it, and both of them spend a few minutes simply breathing, stretching or relaxing.

"I am beaten," he says after a short while, holding up and shaking his hands of the water. "Whether your intentions are good or ill, the pool and its mystic properties may now be used by you."

Kaito looks down into the blue, shimmering water. "You know, I fought this whole time without even knowing what the hell it is. Isn't it just water? What does it do, exactly?"

"This is the Wellspring of Shun-Kuto, a great warrior and philosopher who lived in a realm that was absorbed by Outworld in a time lost to history. He poured all of his spirit and magic into this pool, keeping it eternally refreshed. It has the power to heal the body, calm the spirit and, if used properly, can allow one to see visions of the future."

Kaito's brows shoot up at that, his curiosity piqued. "And you spend your time here guarding it?"

"I must. It is a resource that could be terribly exploited if it were to fall into the wrong hands, such as the Emperor." He looks at Kaito. "I pray to the Elder Gods that you are not the wrong hands."

"Hey, I'm not evil, if that counts for anything. I'm just trying to find my way back home."

"I see... I am called Phlox, a warrior of the earth."

"Nice to meet you. Akayama Kaito. Kaito is just fine."

Phlox nods and stands up. "You may now partake of the wellspring, Kaito. It will heal you and bring you peace, and perhaps, allow you to see the future."

The human stares at the shimmering surface for a few moments more and shrugs. "Well, I'm not getting any younger." Kaito scoots forward and kicks off the edge, dropping into the warm water below.

He drifts to the center of the grotto, all the while feeling a strange warmth overtake him. His wounds, scrapes and cuts are soothed and particularly warmed, and as he opens his eyes beneath the clear surface, he watches one on the back of his hand turn from red to pink before sealing up and vanishing, leaving perfect skin behind. But beyond merely the effects on his body are the potent consequences upon his mind; the aura around him brings with it an incredibly serenity, a peace unlike that which he has felt since a long time past, since he was once with his father, travelling the world and seeing amazing sights...

He finds he does not need to breathe air in this pool of magical water. He sits at the bottom of the grotto and closes his eyes, letting the warm water soothe and mend his body and soul. After all he has been through so far, it is a welcoming thing.

As he lets the adrenaline and fighting spirit from his previous battle calm from the waters, he begins to experience stranger things; he hears whispers. Strange echoes reach his ears as though from far away... Then, in his mind, he begins to see visions, but they are not quite so peaceful. They are troubling, full of violence and terror.

He hears screams. Visions of people running... they look like monks, clad in white, orange and red. Buildings on fire, ancient temples... Portals opening up and tarkatans spilling through, killing the monks... And at the heart of the fighting is Liu Kang, and other Earthrealm warriors from the tournament... Johnny Cage, Sonya Blade, Jax and more… He sees them defending these temples, but the fires spread and grow higher while monk after monk is slaughtered… And at the heart of it all, looking upon the destruction is Shang Tsung!

Kaito opens his eyes as the vision sharply ends, kicking up off the grotto's floor and rising to the surface. He breaks through and kicks his legs to keep himself aloft, breathing deeply. From the shore, the other three all watch him. "What did you see?" Phlox asks. "What vision of the future?"

He swims to the shore and pulls himself up onto the ridge. "My home realm, in danger. I need to figure out a way to get back and warn them, if I can."

Phlox kneels down and helps Kaito up to his feet. "I cannot help you find a way back to your home. My place is here, guarding the wellspring. But I may be able to help you in another way."

As Kaito dries himself off, Phlox walks over to one of the walls covered in foliage. The leaves part, revealing a small alcove with some bottles, a hidden storage of them. He takes one out and walks over, holding it in front of him. The bottle contains a clear liquid, but it does have a light blue haze to it.

Kaito takes hold of it, swishing it around inside as he peers within the glass. "Is this...?"

Phlox bows his head. "A minor reserve of the wellspring's water. Use it wisely."

"Thank you," Kaito says, bowing to the man. "Would it be alright with you if we spent the evening here?"

"Spend as much time as you need here, you and your companions." Phlox returns his bow before approaching a nearby wall covered in green foliage, stepping into it and vanishing much like his original entrance.

As he walks back to them, Sareena stands up from her rock. "Well done," she compliments him. "Perhaps there is something of a fighter inside of you after all, even if your technique is sorely lacking."

Kaito chortles. "Who needs technique? In my experience, raw skill and power trumps style."

"Wait until you face someone with power and technique, or perhaps more power than you," she says with a smile. "Perhaps the one atop this mountain, hm?"

"We'll deal with that in the morning," he yawns, finding a nice bed of flowers nearby to rest upon. He stretches out and gets comfortable, still feeling extremely relaxed from the pool, despite his wet clothes. He approaches his duffel bag, unzips it and removes his towel, using it to dry himself off before hanging it up. 'Never forget your towel,' he smiles to himself. He then uses his belongings in the duffel as a pillow. He closes his eyes and prepares to sleep, but then cracks an eye open to find her staring at him. "You're not going to go ahead and slit my throat after all we've been through together, are you?"

She's amused. "We haven't been through much."

"Give it time, sister. I'll see you in the morning."

He closes his eyes again and soon enough falls into a deep, restful sleep. The cavern proves to be a good place to rest, soothing with the only sound being the trickling of water from the nearby fall, allowing the travelers a decent slumber. By the time the first rays of orange sunlight streak across the purple sky, Kaito's eyes are slowly opening again, only to behold the form of Sareena, positioned almost dangerously close to himself. As he picks up his head, the slightest of noise causes her eyes to open.

For a moment, they stare at each other as she gives him a playful smile. "Sleep well?" she asks.

"I try to make it a point to not sleep next to demons," he mutters. "It's worked out well for me so far."

"What could be wrong with sleeping with a demon?" Her tone is innocent, but the smile and look in her eyes, along with the precise choice of words implying far more than simply lying next to each other, cues him in to her true meaning.

"Thanks, but no thanks," he says as he stands up. He dusts himself off and inspects his dried clothes before picking up his belongings and slinging them over a shoulder.

On the ground, Sareena props herself up on an elbow and watches as he walks up to the snoring Tortek, nudging him with his foot. The tarkatan startles and awakens, sitting up. "Morning," Kaito says. "Let's get a move on, shall we?"

Tortek nods and gets up to his feet. Sareena does the same, stretching her arms and legs for a moment before shaking her head, letting her black and white hair fall loosely about her shoulders. As Kaito heads for the entrance, however, he pauses and looks at the pond once more. He turns to his companions and asks, "You know, it didn't occur to me before to ask, but do either of you want to try? That pool is pretty damn good."

Sareena folds her arms and tilts her head. "I confess, I am curious. We know it works on humans, but I am not human. I'd rather not risk stepping in if it would destroy me."

He thinks for a moment before he looks around and speaks loudly to the room, intending to speak to Phlox, "My companion is a demon. Will her entering the pool corrupt it in some way or kill her?"

Phlox's voice responds immediately, echoing as though carried on the wind. "Only a great sorcerer—or sorceress—would be able to corrupt the pool and turns its ends to their own perverse nature. Unless she is a being of truly great darkness, she would not harm it or be harmed."

Kaito looks at her up and down. "You don't seem all that bad to me."

She uncrosses her arms. "Let's see if the pool disagrees."

She approaches the water's edge and kneels down. Experimentally, she sticks a finger within and swirls it about experimentally before taking it out. Content that she is not dissolving or experiencing any other ill side effect, she stands up and positions herself before leaping headfirst and diving into the water with a small splash. She sinks deep within and does not immediately emerge.

As the two of them wait for her, Kaito looks at Tortek. "So, you going after her?"

The tarkatan looks at the water and slightly shakes his head.

"What? Why not?"

"I... no can swim," he admits.

Kaito rolls his eyes. "You can breathe in it. You won't drown."

"No, no. Fine. We should leave after she done."

The human shakes his head and can't help but chuckle, but as he does Sareena emerges, her hair sticking to her head as she gasps. She swims to the edge and Kaito moves to offer her a hand up. Once back on solid ground, she pants, her head hung low as water drips down her skin and off her hair. Kaito keeps his eyes from roaming around her wet, prone form as he clears his throat, kneels down alongside her and notes how exhausted she seems. "Are you alright?"

She brings up a hand to wipe the wet hair from her face, staring up at him with bewildered eyes. "I saw…" Her voice trails off but her lips continue to move, as though she is trying to piece it together.

"Take your time," he urges. "What was it? What did you see?"

"I... I cannot say, I..." Kaito offers a hand to help her up to her feet as she tries to describe it. "There was such fighting, such great, terrible fighting unlike any the realms have ever seen..."

"A war?"

"There was so much happening at once I was disoriented, so many warriors, armies and death. Amidst it all, there was a… a great pyramid. Everyone was fighting each other around it, trying to climb it and reach the top, and at the top…"

Kaito waves his hand. "And?"

"A great flame," she whispers. "The sky was dark but the flame burnt brightly, illuminating the battlefield. It was no ordinary fire; it was the very thing everyone was trying to reach and keep the others from reaching." Her hands rests on her forehead. "It had eyes, and as I neared it, they turned upon me, and… And that is all," she says with a note of finality, shaking her head. She looks back up and silently tells him, "I... I do not wish to linger here much longer. This pool has made me see things I do not understand."

He offers her the towel from his belongings and she takes it, wiping her hair clean before doing the same to her skin. She finishes and hands it back to him. "…Thank you."

"Hey, no problem. We wouldn't want you to be all wet in that tight leather now, would we?" he jokes as he takes it back, folding it and putting it in the duffel. "Someone might get ideas down the line."

She gives him a coy smile as her hands rest on her hips. As soon as his duffel is on his back again, they're off, leaving the cave and stepping out into day.

"Huh, the sky isn't purple," Kaito says, putting a hand over his eyes to shield from the orange sun. "I guess that's a night thing."

"More of a regional feature," Sareena explains. "Outworld has absorbed so many realms that the terrain and even the sky can change depending on where you are. This land is relatively normal for Outworld, geographically speaking."

He gives her a look. "Nice of you to bring this up now. How do you know so much about Outworld?"

"I've had missions here before. And like I told you, Quan Chi has a lair within this realm, a sanctum much like his in the Netherrealm."

"Is it a nice place?" he asks as they begin to walk up the side of the mountain.

"It's not as warm as his Netherrealm palace," she replies, though she doesn't mention if that's a good thing or a bad thing.

For the next stretch of the path they continue in silence, until they come upon a sharp drop in the path that would be impassable were it not for the very rickety-looking rope bridge that crosses the gap. The three of them look as the wind causes the bridge to sway side to side, looking very treacherous. Kaito grabs one of the ropes and tries to evaluate the risk while also seeing if there is another way around. But the wall of the mountain is much too steep to climb and the gap too wide to leap across. There appears to be no other way to circumnavigate the obstacle.

"Looks dangerous," Sareena points out the obvious. "After you."

Kaito continues to look around. He confirms that the cliff is much too steep to be scaled, but there is a small stone lining near the bridge running the length of the gap they would be able to shimmy across. For a moment, he also considers heading back to see if there would be a better point to just directly climb up the mountain wall, but that could take quite a while. He looks at the other two. "What do you think? We could shimmy across that gap there."

Tortek shakes his head, but Sareena nods in agreement. "Fall and die," Tortek says, his voice a little meek.

Kaito rolls his eyes. "Come on, first afraid of water, now heights?"

"Tarkata no fly," Tortek says, sticking close to the mountain wall.

Kaito looks down past the bridge. "...But you are right, that's a hell of a drop."

Sareena looks at the tarkatan, then back to the human. "I'm with you either way."

He approaches the edge and tests it before moving more of himself onto it. Hugging the wall as closely as he can, he begins to shimmy. After a moment, he looks back and says, "Alright, Tortek, you stay here. Sareena, you're with me." He turns his head back and begins to slowly move across, keeping a steady pace, careful not to fall.

As he steps, rocks and other small bits fall from the edge. Though his heart is beating quickly, he swallows nervously and keeps going. About halfway across, the rock he steps on gives way completely, but he manages to grab hold of the face of the wall and catch himself to keep from falling. He breathes slowly for a moment and looks back at Sareena, who nods determinately at the other side, and Kaito keeps going.

Once near enough, he leaps off and onto solid ground, and helps Sareena off of the side of the cliff by offering her his hand. "We're near the top," she notices, as the path continues along to the uppermost plateau.

Kaito looks back at Tortek, who is waiting on the other side for them when they return, before following her gaze towards the top of the mountain. "Well, let's see what we came all this way up here for, shall we?"

"You first," she invites him.

"Of course…"

He walks up the path with her closely following as they step onto the roughly flat peak of the mountain. Some rocks and large smoothed stones are here near the opposite edge, and immediately their attention is drawn to the man sitting upon them. His back is to them, as though he is looking out over the surrounding region, and from their point they can see that he has black hair done in a ponytail, dark and mottled brown skin that almost resembles stone or gravel, and wears no shirt. He sits cross-legged with his hands in his lap, but they can already tell he is a large individual with bulging muscles.

'This must be the one the old man spoke of,' Kaito thinks. 'This should be interesting…'

He speaks to them without turning his head, his voice deep and bellowing. "What fools interrupt my meditation?"

The human places a hand on his chest. "Akayama Kaito. This is Sareena. We're just trying to find our path, and wanted to use this mountain to glimpse the surrounding area."

The warrior rises to his feet. He stands at least six and a half feet tall and is extremely muscular, with studded leather bracers on his arms and pointed ears. His eyes burn red as he turns his face to gaze upon the pair. His lips curl in thinly-veiled disgust as he says, "You do not look very strong."

Kaito's eyes narrow. "I've no intentions of fighting you. Rokuro, isn't it?"

"Rokuro the Mighty, worm," he says, stepping down from his stones onto the flatter ground. "Rokuro the Undefeated! And I will not allow any to interrupt my training."

Kaito holds up his hands. "Must you jump immediately to fighting? What about talking?"

"Only the weak stall with words. If you wish to stand atop my mountain, you must take it from me. I took it from its last master."

The human lets out a sigh and prepares himself, stretching his arms. Sareena looks at the large warrior and whispers to Kaito, "I don't recognize his race. He isn't a native outworlder... I do not know what manner of powers he may possess. You should be cautious."

"See? I knew you were growing to like me," he says with a smile. He turns back to Rokuro before approaching him, rotating his arm and stretching the joint as he does so. "So, how about a little workout? If I beat you, I get to stay as long as I need to figure out where I'm going."

Rokuro's face shows no sign of amusement. Instead he threatens, "And when I defeat you, your broken body will be thrown from atop this mountain." He looks at Sareena and sneers some more. "Then I shall claim your woman for myself."

Sareena immediately takes out a knife. "I beg your pardon?"

She's about to advance when Kaito holds up a hand. "I got this one," he says to her, looking Rokuro squarely in his red eyes. "For the record, she's not my woman, and she'd probably kick your ass even worse than me for that last little comment."

He folds his arms and lets out a rumbling laugh. "As if any woman that size could pose a threat to me."

"Each word that comes out of his mouth makes me want to stab him all the more," she mutters.

Kaito leans over. "Well, I'm curious to see if I can take him on by myself. But if things go badly, by all means, be my guest."

Rokuro pounds his chest. "Enough talk! Face me and die!"

Kaito cracks his knuckles. "We'll see about that. Let's go, ponytail." A single bead of sweat drips down his forehead. 'This is going to be a tough one, I can tell…'

Rokuro opens up with a roaring charge, hoping to overpower Kaito quickly and easily. His feet stomp onto the ground as he rushes towards his smaller opponent like a train. Kaito steps back as Sareena moves off to the side, carefully assessing his opponent's charge. An idea springs to his mind, popping up from the last battle he witnessed in which a human fought a monster much larger than himself: Johnny Cage's match against Goro. Curling his fist and tensing his arm, he stands still right up until the very last moment before dropping to the ground and delivering a shocking punch right into Rokuro's groin.

The warrior's red eyes grow wide in pain as he stops in his tracks, stumbling backwards to cup his loincloth. He groans loudly in pain as Kaito gets back up and delivers a kick right to Rokuro's nose and puts him on his back. Nearby, Sareena cocks an eyebrow and remarks, "Is that how they fight in Earthrealm?"

Before Kaito can reply, Rokuro balls his hands into fists and smashes the ground on either side of himself, forcing him back up onto his feet. His mouth is nearly frothing with rage as he reaches for the human, attempting to pull him into a crushing hug, but he steps back and out of reach. Gathering up some more energy in his palms, he prepares to do the blinding flash maneuver that worked on Phlox, but Rokuro charges in and bashes him with his shoulder. Kaito is knocked backwards and hits the ground with a grunt.

Without skipping a beat, Rokuro advances on him and grabs him by the leg. Kaito protests as he swings the human around him in one full rotation before letting go, throwing him aside. Once more he is sent rolling across the ground, stopping only several feet from the edge of the cliff. The mountain warrior walks over to a pile of rocks and picks one of them up, hefting it over his head and roaring before hurling it at the human. His eyes go wide as he desperately moves aside, narrowly avoiding the rock, which smashes onto the ground where his leg would have been. The small boulder shatters, sending stones flying over the edge to roll down the mountainside.

Again Rokuro is on him before he can stand back up, a relentless opponent in every sense of the word. His hands are balled into fists, ready to rain down blows and pummel him into the floor. As he nears, Kaito swings out his leg in an attempt to trip him up, but when his leg hooks on Rokuro's ankle and the large warrior does not even budge, all Kaito can say is, "Shit."

Kaito puts up his hands as a rain of pummeling fists is brought upon him, each one hitting like a piston. He defends himself as best as he is able, but the onslaught continues as Rokuro bashes away at him, over and over and over. His fists already begin to leave marks on the human's arms and shoulders and soon enough blood begins to follow. Desperate to escape this compromised position, Kaito attempts to summon up energy to electrocute his opponent, but Rokuro's pummeling is far too powerful to focus through.

'Damn, damn, damn!' His mind races as he focuses on defense, but goes blank when one of his opponent's fists narrowly gets through and smashes against his face. His vision goes white for a moment before another fist hits the side of his forehead, and then one lands against his jaw.

Kaito's arms fall to his side as Rokuro grabs him by the collar and smashes his forehead against his, the headband doing little to soften the collision with his rock-hard skull. Dazed and bleeding from the nose, the human falls down limply when the larger warrior lets go. Rokuro stands up over him, shaking his head. "Pathetic." He then leans down and grabs Kaito with both hands, lifting up his body and holding it over his head as he walks towards the edge. "Just as weak as I had believed. Your body will now paint the sides of my moun—"

He is cut off as Sareena leaps onto his back, jabbing a knife into his neck! Rokuro immediately lets go and Kaito falls in front of him, an arm just dangling off the edge. He roars in pain as he reaches back, but she withdraws the blade and kicks off his back, flipping away. He turns to face her, holding a hand over his knife wound before looking at the blood in his palm. "You will pay for that!"

As he charges at Sareena, Kaito coughs and manages to breathe. The wind had been knocked out of him and he takes a moment to get his bearings before rolling away from the edge. He ends up on his stomach, looking on as the demon assassin faces the brute. He continually chases after her, swinging his fists and attempting to grab onto her, but she dances out of his reach each time, acrobatically dodging each of his attacks. Knife in hand, she slashes at his arms and legs each time she deftly avoids him, which serves to frustrate him all the more.

Kaito pushes himself to a standing position. He feels like he's been hit by a truck, but he's been fighting in underground leagues for years and knows how to take a beating. Spitting out some blood, he rushes towards Rokuro's backside and delivers a strong punch to him. However, the warrior is mostly unharmed, and turns to merely swat Kaito away with a backhanded slap, as though he were nothing but a nuisance. This gives Sareena an opportunity to throw a dagger into his arm, which embeds in the flesh and makes him roar again before charging after her.

On the ground, he looks back up. 'Damnit, Tortek, you just had to be afraid of heights…'

Though wounded, the human is undeterred and gets up on one knee. Sareena seems to be handling herself well—certainly better than he was against this foe—but he's never backed out of a fight. He holds a hand close to his chest and focuses on breathing through his bloody mouth while he summons up energy, collecting it in his hand. Lifting it up, he launches a lightning bolt that stuns Rokuro for a moment, allowing Sareena to backflip-kick his chin and knock him back towards Kaito.

The human shouts as he rises to his feet and rushes at the warrior, this time punching him a few times in retribution for his earlier beating. Kaito falls back on the one thing he knows best: his rage. He shouts as he punches Rokuro again and again, slowly pushing him towards the edge of the mountain. His fists are like hammers, his will like iron and his rage like a wildfire burning through him. His knuckles become bloody as he slams them home again and again, continually forcing his opponent backwards. As he tries to swipe at Kaito's face, the human ducks under it and follows up with a rolling punch to Rokuro's face.

But his sudden comeback proves short-lived as Rokuro turns around and smashes Kaito across the face again, sending him back a few paces. He then brings his knee up to the human's chest to knock him down. As he does this, Sareena throws a knife into his leg, making him stumble down onto one knee as he grunts in pain. Kaito looks up and sees the metal sticking out of Rokuro's thigh. Reaching up to grab it, he does not pull it out but rather he pushes it further in while concentrating his lightning power into it. Like a lightning rod, it funnels the electricity into his body and causes him to spasm and twitch madly.

When the human stops, Rokuro reaches out and grabs him by the neck, holding him close. Kaito punches him in the face again as the warrior turns to hold him near the cliff's edge. Rokuro, his skin slightly smoking and his face contorted into an enraged visage, speaks through gritted teeth. "I am Rokuro the Mighty! Rokuro the Undefeated! You will never win!" he grunts as Kaito begins to bend over the edge.

Desperately holding onto his arm, Kaito looks up just in time to glimpse Sareena once more stabbing Rokuro in the back, causing his grip to loosen slightly. He brings up both feet and kicks Rokuro in the chest, forcing him to let go fully and fall backwards, right near the edge. Kaito scrambles to crawl away as he turns around and holds up his hand. Rokuro's eyes widen as he looks at the electricity that gathers in his palm, realizing what is about to happen.

"Have a good trip," Kaito wishes him before giving him a face full of lightning that sends him rolling down the side of the mountain. As the human falls onto his back, the roars of Rokuro can be heard slowly dying off as he falls further and further away. He spits up some more blood and rolls onto his side as Sareena walks over to help him up.

"Are you alright?" she asks, more concerned than he would have imagined her to be given the nature of their relationship.

He lets out a sigh as he looks up at her, face bloodied and slightly busted. "You shouldn't have jumped in like that. I can… I can handle myself."

She scoffs. "Yes, you were clearly doing wonderfully when he was pummeling you into the mountain. You're the one who asked me to intervene! You're welcome." She drops his hand and stands up to dust herself off.

Kaito's shoulders slump slightly. Deep down, he is grateful, but he can't deny that his pride is wounded. "Alright, alright… Thank you," he sighs. "Sorry, I just guess you were right, back in that cave, about meeting someone with more power than me. I've got a few things to learn…"

"It wouldn't hurt for you to learn how to not get hit," she tells him, an arrogant smile on her lips. "But then again, not all of us can be as lithe as I."

"Yeah, yeah, keep it up…" He rubs his arm along the bottom of his nose, wiping away the blood. 'I haven't had a beating that good in years,' he thinks with a small chuckle. Kaito shakes his hand and stands, stretching out his wounded limbs. 'Maybe another dip in that pool on the way down the mountain will help…'

Sareena is nearby, climbing the rocks upon which Rokuro sat. "See anything?" he asks. Just then, he hears someone approaching. At first, he suspects Tortek, but then he sees that it is the old man from the foot of the mountain! He walks with his walking stick, his beard dangling slightly as he takes each step.

"You! How'd you get up here?" he asks.

"I know secret paths up the mountain," he says, walking past Kaito. "But I could not come up here so long as the brute remained squatting here on his rock."

Kaito, still slightly amazed at seeing him, narrows his eyes somewhat. "So you wanted us to fight him?"

"I didn't care if it was you or someone else, I just needed him gone," he replies. "Good work, regardless, human. Here, something for your trouble." He tosses a sack of coins at Kaito's feet.

'The hell?' He kneels down the picks it up. "What's so important to you up here anyway?"

"Nevermind the old man!" Sareena calls out to get his attention. "I see a village from up here! A wall, a few towers... We can make it there by nightfall!"

Kaito turns to look back at the old man, who is gone. "What the...?" He spins in place, wondering if it's the throbbing in his head or the altitude that's making him so confused. He turns all around, looking everywhere, but the old man is just vanished, as though carried away by the clouds.

Sareena hops off the rock and walks up to him. "So, shall we continue on?"

"But the old man…" Kaito whispers. Sareena looks around for herself, and sees nothing. "He was just…"

"Let the old hermit play his games," she advises. "Come. We've already wasted too much time on this mountain. Let's head to that village and finally get our bearings."

She leads the way back down as Kaito follows her, taking a moment to inspect the bag. He knows the old man was here, but where could he have gone?

'And just who the hell was he, anyway…?'

* * *

 **Ah, Rokuro. He's always been one of my favorites, and of course followed in the trend of someone who is initially an antagonist and nearly kills the hero, only to come back later, be defeated and become friends with him. I suppose that's a spoiler for those of you who are reading this novelization first instead of the quest threads, but as the story is already over sixty threads long at this point and over a year in the making, I don't think it's that big of a deal. There's certainly more of Rokuro to come. Speaking of which, he is of course based on the original concept of Goro, back when his name was Rokuro and he belonged to some kind of race of demons. There's an absolutely fantastic artist named JhonatasBatalha on DeviantArt who has done renditions of many Mortal Kombat characters, no matter how obscure, and his rendition of Rokuro is what really inspired this character. For those of you who don't know, you can post an image alongside your written text on 4chan, and with each post in my Mortal Kombat quest I would try to have a picture of the character the protagonist is currently interacting with. Kaito himself, from his black gi to his rising sun headband, was also based on another work by the same artist of a proto-Liu Kang named Minamoto Yo Shin Soo or Yoshitsune Minamoto or something. I've actually based quite a few characters on his art, as I find them to be very inspiring character pieces. Give him a look some time!**


	5. Another World's War

**When we last left our hero, he had just overcome the challenge of the mighty mountain-dwelling Rokuro, with the aid of Sareena, his unlikely ally and assassin of the Brotherhood of Shadow. Together, along with the ever-hungry Tortek, they travelled to the top of the mountain to confront this foe and threw him from the peak, whereupon they were able to glimpse a nearby village. They travel there now in the hopes of finding a way back home, but what awaits them is only a bigger conflict brewing...**

 **Our story continues now.**

* * *

After descending from the top of the mountain and finding Tortek sharpening his arm-blades on the rocks, Sareena and the wounded Kaito travelled back to the cavern containing the Wellspring of Shun-Kuto. They give him some privacy as he disrobes and dips back into the healing waters, rejuvenating him back to a healthy condition. Though the miraculous healing properties of the water are still in effect, sealing his wounds and relieving his aching muscles, no visions come to him on this second dip, nor does Phlox appear. Kaito spends some time washing himself off and swimming around the pool, confident that he has free access to its depths, before swimming back up to the surface and climbing out. He dries himself off and stretches before leaving, finding Sareena leaning up against the entrance with Tortek nearby, both looking rather bored.

"Sorry, did I take too long?" he asks, a mirthful look on his face, amused that they could both be bored in a place like this.

They proceed down the mountain, moving at a quickened pace due to the declining path, eventually coming to the crossroads where the old man's hut was located at. Upon investigation, they discover it to be empty, as though nobody had lived in it at all. Though Kaito is intensely curious about the mystery of this old man and who he truly is, Sareena is the one who keeps them on track as they head towards the village she saw. Soon enough they leave the forest behind and begin travel towards the southeast, whereupon they eventually end up on a well-travelled road that takes them to the gates of the village.

From a distance, they can see that a wall surrounds it, though one that appears rather hastily-constructed, more out of branches and rocks rather than well-cut lumber and bound by ropes in a slightly shoddy manner. The sentry towers that line it, four in total, appear sturdier in nature. The front entrance is barred on the other side, and as they approach it, two guards manning the nearest tower shout down at them as they draw bows and prepare to fire. They call to halt, which the three do. As they speak, Kaito notes how closely their armor resembles the suits and helms worn in ancient China and some neighboring regions.

"HOLD! None may enter the village of Tianshou! Especially those accompanied by mutants!"

Kaito gives Tortek a curious glance. "I thought you said there were no tarkatans in these lands."

"Many know of tarkata and our strength," Tortek replies. "They fear!"

"Well, that's comforting to know," he deadpans.

The guard shouts back down at them. "We will not have any who treat with the Emperor in our midst! Leave now and return to your warlord! Tell them that our reply has not changed!"

The implication of those words is not lost on Kaito, who looks over at Sareena. "So, this town isn't in line with the Emperor. I thought he controlled all of Outworld?"

"Outworld is very large," Sareena shrugs. "Perhaps we are outside of his territory. He rules as a tyrant rules; rebellion is likely common, if short-lived."

He thinks for a moment. "You're pretty charismatic, why don't you see if you can talk them into letting us inside?"

"We'll see," she replies before she approaches the walls. The guards aim at her but she holds up her hands and declares, "We are not emissaries of the Emperor! We seek safe passage within the town and will leave come morning!"

The guard shakes his head. "Any we let in could be assassins or spies for the Emperor!"

She drops her arms and looks back at Kaito. "I tried." She walks back to him as he scratches the back of his head. He gets an idea and quickly rifles through his belongings, eventually finding and pulling out the scroll that originally invited him to the tournament. He walks towards the gate as they keep him in their sights. "I am no friend to the Emperor. I am from Earthrealm!"

"Never heard of it!"

He drops his arms, confused. "R... Really? Never heard of Earth?" He looks again at his companions, but then back up at the guards. "Well... It's currently fighting Outworld in Mortal Kombat!"

That they seem to understand that better. "So you were conquered?"

"No! We won! I hope..." he says to them, though the last two words are mostly to himself. "The point is, I am no friend to the Emperor. I fought against his forces in the Mortal Kombat tournament. Here! This is my invitation!" He holds out the invitation and tosses it up to them. As they unfold it, he goes on to say, "I fought for the forces of Earthrealm and defeated many of the Emperor's servants, including Shang Tsung and his minions! This tarkatan here is indentured to me through Mortal Kombat! He's not with the others of his kind."

The guards look at the invitation and speak amongst each other, scrutinizing it closely. After a moment, they look down and say, "We must speak to our leader!" They then disappear from sight after climbing down the tower.

Kaito returns to his companions. "What do you think? Pretty good, eh?"

Sareena shifts balance to one foot as she stands with folded arms. "We'll see."

Kaito waits patiently, though Tortek is soon sitting down and drawing circles in the dirt with the tip of his arm-blade while Sareena inspects her nails. After several minutes, the doors open and they behold a woman flanked by the two guards from earlier. She walks out to greet them, stopping several meters in front of them and shoving one head of a staff into the ground in front of her, possibly as a means of intimidation. Her clothing is a fiery orange outfit of loose-fitting pants and a red top, resembling that of a martial artist, with wooden sandals worn under bare feet. Much like her armored guards, she appears vaguely Asian, though he knows she is from another world. Her face is youthful but she wears a very determined look upon it, with furrowed brow and inquisitive eyes, and dark hair tied behind her head.

As he studies her, so too does she do the same, looking him up and down. When she speaks, her voice is mature and her tone serious. "You say you are from Earthrealm. You are a long way from home if so."

"The machinations of an ill-tempered sorcerer placed me here," Kaito explains. "But I assure you, I mean you and your people no harm."

She suspiciously eyes Sareena and Tortek. "You keep odd company, earthrealmer."

"And you look rather young to be in charge of a village," Kaito replies. "But I imagine that looks could be deceiving on both of our accounts, yes?"

She tilts her head up a bit. "My father was killed by the Emperor's envoys for disobedience to his rule. Now I lead, and I continue to oppose the Emperor."

Sareena chuckles. "Sounds like you didn't learn from his example."

She casts a look her way, but ignores the demon. "I am called Yanake. Who am I speaking to?"

"I am Kaito, Akayama Kaito. These are my companions, Tortek and Sareena."

The tarkatan sniffs the air a bit. "You have food inside village?" he asks, but Kaito holds up a hand, urging him to be patient.

Yanake's eyes drift between them, analyzing them and weighing their words against her judgment. She clears her throat after a moment and tells them, "If you mean only to spend then night, you may do so. You will be watched. Cause trouble, and we will not hesitate to deal with you."

Kaito nods. "Sounds fair enough."

She turns and allows them to walk forward, picking up her staff and pointing at the entrance. As they move past, Yanake and her two guards walk alongside them. As they walk, Kaito looks over at the young leader and asks, "So, I take it the Emperor isn't too pleased with your town's continued dissention, is he?"

"No. But he likely does not know who we are or even cares. The Emperor's eyes are set upon other realms, like yours. He leaves smaller campaigns to his generals, those who seek to earn his favor and anyone else who fight and conquer in his name."

"Who killed your father? I know you said that it was the Emperor's envoys, but I mean specifically."

"This village is but one of many in the land that is in the sight of one of the Emperor's lower-ranking lieutenants, a man named Gozen. A weak fighter, but a shrewd tactician. He has led many warriors into conquering this region and others west of the dunes, and they continue to push south. Soon, they will be upon us as well, and the other towns nearby are speaking of submitting to the rule of the Emperor."

"And would that be so bad?" At that, one of the guards points a spear at Kaito's neck. He pushes it away and says, "I'm just asking. If the alternative is your people dying, what choice do you have?"

"The choice of standing and fighting for our independence," Yanake says, remaining firm. On this point, she is clearly unyielding. "Those who submit are made into slaves, sent off to the Cobalt Mines or worse. So long as the conquering armies of the Emperor march, there will never be peace in Outworld, so we will fight them."

Now fully in the village, Kaito looks around. He sees some adult males in armor, but it mostly appears to be women, children and the elderly, all living in simple huts, shacks and other meager abodes. It is clear, even to an inexperienced observer such as himself, that all of their military gear is stolen, handed-down or repurposed farm equipment. They pause when they reach the village square, and he can see a small well of dirty water.

Kaito crosses his arms as he licks his lips in uncertainty of their situation. "Do you believe that the other towns will buckle and submit?"

She sighs. "Truthfully, I cannot say. The people of this village are my people, and they believe in me, just as they did my father, but similar demonstrations in other towns have only weakened their resolve. With no victories against the enemy, what can I truly say to them to make them believe that we have a chance of winning this fight?"

"At least you are honest with yourself," Sareena replies with a bemused smile. "The Emperor controls legions of well-armored warriors and you arm yourselves with pitchforks and boiled leather."

Yanake faces her. "It is better than being a slave!"

Kaito crosses his arms and steps in front of Sareena before their argument can escalate. "What about this Gozen guy? Why not challenge him to Mortal Kombat?"

"He would never accept. He is far too much of a coward. We know of him as a 'tent tactician' who never sees battle for himself, only organizing it from safety while he sends his soldiers off to die. He only has his place in the military because of his influential older brother. No, Gozen would send legions of soldiers before he would ever accept a one-on-one challenge."

Kaito looks around at the village. The people hustle and bustle about, trading in the market, forging weapons and armor, farming and other things villagefolk would do. Despite the impending doom lingering over the village from everything he has learned about them, he can't help but feel an affinity for their way of life; it mirrors simpler times from his home realm. He looks over and sees a small naked boy running down the street as his mother chases after him with a blanket.

He turns back to face the leader. "You said that you have no solid victories to motivate the other towns," Kaito says to her. "How would we go about changing that?"

She looks up at him in surprise. Her guards look at each other as Yanake replies, "Stranger, I cannot ask you to fight in a war you have no involvement in."

He rubs his chin slightly. "Oh, I'm involved in it, alright. I've been involved in it ever since I got on a leaky boat taking me to some island where I learned that there's this Emperor trying to conquer my realm. So, since I'm here with nowhere to go, I might as well stick it to him as much as I can."

Sareena approaches and grabs his arm. "This is not our purpose here. We didn't come to fight and die for some hopeless rebellion."

Kaito looks back over his shoulder as he shrugs her off of his arm. "Maybe they can help us if we help them. At the very least, they might have a map."

"We do," Yanake says. "If you mean to assist us, follow me."

She brings the three of them to her home, a modest building of stone and wood. Once inside, she takes them to a table where she unveils a map of the region. Though crudely drawn, its detail is enough to make out the wider area. As she speaks, she points.

"The bulk of their forces are currently occupied with a siege of a much greater city to the north, Xun-Koto. The city is well-supplied and will hold out for a while, which gives us an opportunity to strike. My scouts have discovered a number of camps placed to prevent reinforcements from the south marching north to their aid." She looks up from the three red circles on the map. "If we can break this blockade, we can support our northern allies and possibly repel the enemy."

Kaito scratches his head. "And our other options?"

"Outside of sneaking into the enemy's main camp and assassinating Gozen, we also can work on finding other allies to aid us in the coming battles. Our numbers are not much. But there are a number of scattered peoples throughout the southern territories who may be able to help us. If we can get these other villages to stand with us, we could have a small army."

Kaito looks at the map and thinks about what she has told him. With a greater perspective on the situation, he begins to weigh the options. This isn't something he is quite used to; planning battles is much different from one-on-one fights. Eventually, he points at the three smaller red circles that form the blockade. "Those camps should be our first priority. How many men can you spare to help me attack them?"

"Our reports say that each camp is staffed by roughly thirty warriors, with their hounds, mounts and servants not counted. I can give you twenty men."

"Outnumbered. So, we'll have to fight smart. What kinds of weapons do you have?"

"Swords, spears and bows, along with clubs and crude shields. We have no steeds or magic."

"Right, magic, I almost forgot we were in another world." Kaito chuckles to himself. "Well, let's hope they don't have any sorcerers either."

"They may," Sareena says from the side. "The Emperor is known to employ dark priests."

Yanake has something else to say. "We can possibly lure them into a trap. One thing we are definitely good at is trap-making; spiked pits, falling rocks, burning tar."

He nods, looking over the map. "That is good, but one thing we can't do is let them get word to the other camps. The element of surprise is our best chance, so it would be best to trick them somehow..." Kaito thinks a bit, then remembers the drink he shared with Master Bo' Rai Cho on Shang Tsung's island. "Say, how much wine do you have?"

"Wine? Whatever for?"

"We could get our enemies liquored up and ambush them afterwards."

Now she nods in understanding. "We have stocks... enough to take out at least one of the camps and get them drunk. Perhaps."

Kaito nods. "Could you check?" She nods again before telling them to remain here while she goes to do just that. After she leaves the room, Sareena steps forward to again voice her protest. "We don't have time to fight a war against the Emperor. Do you forget your vision? You need to return home to warn your fellow Earthrealm warriors. And the longer that I am away from Quan Chi, the greater my punishment could be."

Placing his hands on the table, he shakes his head and says, "I've already said I'll help. I can't back out of it now. We push this guy Gozen back and then we leave."

"And then the Emperor's forces will return in even greater numbers and eventually this region will fall, Kaito. Surely you must see the futility in what you are doing."

Kaito thinks hard on this. He knows that the village is clearly the underdog in this fight, but he can't shake the feeling that he and his powers could change the course of this conflict, not to mention the special abilities of his allies, assuming that Sareena remains. He straightens and looks her in the eyes. "I've already made up my mind. You're welcome to leave without us; maybe you could orient the map based on her crude drawings."

"That would be futile to try," she says. "We don't even know if this part of Outworld is on your map in the first place."

"Well, I know a place that might have some more." He points to the city that Yanake mentioned, Xun-Koto. "Who knows? Maybe they have a library, or a way to make portals. Either way, if it's under siege, our best bet to get there would be to go there with a fighting force."

"This is silly," she sighs. "The smarter option is to ally with the superior force." She taps her fingers on her arm a few times. "But I suppose you're not going to do that, when it would mean working with the Emperor's armies."

"Afraid not," he replies. "As far as I'm concerned, given what I went through on that island, anyone who waves the flag of the Emperor deserves a face full of lightning, and I'm the guy to give it to them."

When Yanake returns, she confirms that they have several small barrels of wine that are hidden. The men will lament their loss, but they lament dying even more. Once outside, Kaito approaches the rounded-up men he is to lead into battle. They are a rag-tag bunch if ever he saw one, with several of them being too skinny to appear very threatening. Nearby, a group of other villagers brings out the barrels. Yanake explains, "We will send some of our villagers in with the barrels, saying that it is a peace offering. When they are done reveling, you will move in and take them by surprise."

"Sounds good to me." He looks around at their weapons and armor. As shoddy as they may seem, little armor is better than no armor. "You wouldn't happen to have anything I could use in the battle, would you? Say, a pair of gauntlets?"

"Yes, actually," she says. "Wait here."

As Kaito briefs the villagers on the plan, which will begin tomorrow morning, she returns with a pair of leather gauntlets with small blades emerging from the back of the hand, pointing forward so as to impale the enemy with each punch. "These are the best we can do on short notice," she says.

He takes one and straps it onto his hand, testing it out with a few experimental punches. "No, this will be fine, thank you."

That night, the three companions are given leave to sleep in one of the empty huts, which had belonged to man killed in the fighting. Although they have to contend with the uncomfortable dirt floor, they do their best to make things comfortable for themselves. Sareena finds a blanket and lays upon it while Tortek curls up in a collection of straw and hay.

As they keep to themselves, Kaito takes out the book he stole from Shang Tsung's island tower, the one concerning the legends of the Crimson Thunderbolt. He flips back to where he had to leave off on earlier and continues.

The first half of the book was a description on the legend of a Japanese warrior who challenged the gods, and whose blood was spilt upon the earth when he was destroyed, whereas the second half of the book appears to be a journal of sorts, chronicling an unnamed author's attempts at discovering the truth behind the legend. The man appears to have been the one who assembled the first half of the book, as occasional references to doing so are made.

The search began in Japan, but spread to many other places: China, India, Russia, England, the United States. The author was hunting down what he believed to be the last carriers of the "Warrior's Blood." His reasons for doing so are not clear, but the book describes a detailed account of another world, perhaps Outworld, that the author travelled to. Had he himself not recently been transported to this world, Kaito would have passed this off as fantasy, but now it seems like everything that once seemed false could be true, and myth and legend could all be real. He reads on, getting into the detailed account of the man's exploration of this world.

His travels took him over the waters on a strange ship, possibly much like the one that brought Kaito to Shang Tsung's Island. There, he found a place known as the Sea of Blood, where the dead would rise from the red water to pull sailors out of their ships. At the heart of the Sea of Blood lies a temple, and as the final page of the journal relates, he found what he believes to be the very thing he was looking for within. It ends abruptly, saying that if the journal does not continue beyond this point, the author is dead. Apparently, he is.

Kaito closes the book and thinks. If this Sea of Blood does exist in Outworld, and so does the temple, perhaps it warrants a visit. Though he does not quite understand why, he feels intensely drawn towards finding the truth of this legend, much in the same way he felt compelled to grab this book in the first place. What happened to the author? How did this book end up in Shang Tsung's possession? And just what does it have to do with everything that is going on, if at all?

Ultimately, he sets the book and the thoughts it evokes aside and goes to sleep, resting his head on his duffle. The next morning, Kaito, Sareena and Tortek find themselves moving along with the others behind the caravan containing the wine. The locals know which direction to head in, and ever since leaving Tianshou, it has been mostly quiet. Kaito steals a look back at the men who are marching behind them; somber faces can be seen on most. They don't appear to be very confident of their chances. Taking a moment to tighten the new gauntlets on his arms, he holds his head high and walks on.

They come to a point where they are asked to stay back as the caravan goes on to the camp. The man-pulled wagon continues up the road, stretching around a hill, which Kaito and Sareena climb up. They crawl to the top and peer over the hill, beholding the camp of the Emperor's warriors.

'Well, that's going to be a problem,' he thinks to himself as he looks at them. Their armor is superior, their numbers are greater and their weapons are larger and sharper. They have cages of various snarling animals, things that look like dogs and other foul creatures, as well as servants move about, feeding them, cleaning up after them and other various tasks.

Their leader appears to be a large, burly man with two axes strapped to his back and a black hood over his head. He is the one who steps forward to deal with the caravan when it approaches. The exchange of wine seems to be going well initially, but when one of the warriors picks up a young girl from the caravan and hoists her over his shoulder, saying, "We'll take her as tribute as well!" the others in the caravan beg them not to, but are held at bay by several of the warriors.

Kaito watches this happen and knows that now is not yet the time to interfere, despite what is happening. Thankfully, the man throws her in a cage while the wine is spread out amongst the men. As she is not the only servant, careful attention will have to be taken during the battle to ensure that she and the others are not harmed, though the enemy can be differentiated quite clearly from the armor they wear. But as they observe, they can see clearly that while the wine is being shared, they are not yet drunk.

Sareena casts him a glance as the cage with the girl is prodded by one of the soldiers, using his axe to bang on the bars, causing her much distress. From here they can hear him cackling about how much good she'll be around the camp, and how little he can wait to get his hands on her when the leader is done. Kaito has heard enough; a new plan forms in his mind.

He looks over at her. "Can you go get her?"

"This wasn't part of the plan," she whispers.

"I know, I know, but... you're an assassin, right? You're good at sneaking, aren't you? I bet you could get in and get her out without anyone seeing."

"You had best wish so," she deadpans. "If I am discovered, I'm leaving her."

"If they find you, I'll give the signal to attack or something," he replies. She rolls her eyes and scoots down the hill. She takes a robe from one of the caravan villagers and throws it around her shoulders as she prepares to sneak into the camp. She goes the long way around the hill and sneaks past several fortifications before finding a gap in the perimeter and going inside.

He watches as the demon sneaks into the camp, past guards who chat and enthuse about the upcoming battles. She ducks from barrel to barrel until she makes it to the cage with the girl in it. Just as she is about to speak to her, the leader of the camp and the man who took her walks by, opens the cage and speaks to her as he finishes his drink of the strong wine. "Let's get to the tent, little one..."

Sareena hides behind a nearby crate, watching with uncertainty. The girl in the cage resists as he pulls her out and carries her to his tent; she kicks and screams a bit, to the laughs and cheers of the other men. Kaito's eyes track Sareena as she navigates unseen through the camp, drawing out her knife. When the man walks into the tent with the girl, the assassin waits only a moment before darting in after. He can't see what happens next from this vantage point, but after a moment she emerges with a bloody knife in one hand and the girl's wrist in the other.

'Damn fine work, demon-lady,' he thinks to himself as she sneaks out of the camp with the girl. Once she is back around the hill, Kaito moves down to meet up with her as the girl runs back to the caravan and into the arms of her father. The human gives her a smile as he compliments her work. "I knew you could pull it off."

"Let's not make this a regular thing," she suggests. "I saw them drinking the wine. It may not be too long from now."

"Well, the good news is we can afford to wait now," he says. "Stay back here with the others. I'll give the signal when I think it's time."

He crawls back up to the top of the hill and looks down upon them, waiting patiently. He's ready to call for attack if anyone finds their leader's body in the tent, but none approach it, wishing to not disturb him. As the time passes, they drink and drink some more, until some of them can no longer stand. Smiling to himself as his plan slowly comes to fruition, he slowly looks back at his attack party with a hand raised. When he lowers it quickly, Tortek's arm-blades shoot out and he runs ahead of everyone, leading them towards the camp.

The battle goes perfectly. The warriors, unable to respond until the attack force has already overrun them, are scattered and some are caught without their weapons. Those that are too inebriated to fight are easy prey for the villagers while Tortek and Sareena focus on the more difficult foes. Kaito, for his part, charges down the hill with fistfuls of lightning and bashes his way through the camp, using his new gauntlets to great effectiveness. As he slams, stabs and shocks his way through the outer sentries, he sees one of the camp lieutenants running to their leader's tent to get him.

Kaito runs up behind him and stabs him in the back, delivering an electrical charge as he does. The man falls over and Kaito peers into the tent, seeing the leader with his hood drawn back and a bloody line drawn across his neck from Sareena's dagger.

He emerges from the tent as Tortek finishes off the last of the resistance, tearing into one opponent like a feral animal as he bite's the man's neck. The villagers keep away from him as Kaito approaches Sareena, who is using the cloth from a dead body to wipe blood from her blade. He gives her a smile as he holds up a bloody fist, and the villagers all cheer; victory is theirs.

Very few wounded enemies remain, but they are not killed. They are instead bound with rope and tied to a nearby tree with guards as the camp and the corpses are pilfered for goods. The spoils from the camp are assembled: weapons, armor and animals in cages. The camp servants are all set free and sent to their homes in the south, on the condition that they bring word of Tianshou and Yanake's message to their home villages along with requests for aid, along with tattered banners of the Emperor's forces as further proof of their victory. They all thank their rescuers and some cry as they run off towards their homes.

This camp had several prisoners, which when freed, immediately agree to join them. Arming themselves with the gear of their fallen captors, the soldiers readily join their ranks.

One of the men reports to Kaito. "We've found the map of their other camps. Several small ones exist in the region, manned by maybe three men-scout's nests-but there are two others that are this size. If we can take out both of them, we'll have a clear line to march north."

Kaito looks around. "I'd like to, but it seems like we're out of wine, though," he notes. "If we hit another camp, it would be even more dangerous than this one." He also notes that the men are in high spirits after this victory. 'Still, even with a good mood, it could be a mistake.'

"This felt good," Sareena says as she slides her knife away and sits on a crate, crossing her legs. "We should do it again."

He looks at her in surprise, a pleasant expression on his face. "Really? You liked helping these people that much?"

She lets out a small, haughty laugh. "No! I meant the slaughter. Killing those soldiers! I'm almost more excited for the next camp, when it will be a bigger challenge." Her dark eyes flash with excitement as she smiles brightly.

His shoulders sulk a bit but he can't help but chuckle. "And here I thought you were starting to learn to be a good person."

She flutters her eyelids. "If you keep rubbing off on me, perhaps I will." Swallowing a small lump in his throat as she hops off the crate. "Come on, Kaito, this is hardly about helping people. This is about getting you and me home."

"Oh, so now you care about getting me home, huh?"

"Our goals are similar. I can play coy and pout all I like, but if you're set on this course then so am I. We're also much better than everyone else-though your tarkatan hound comes in a close second. The three of us alone could probably handle this next camp by ourselves."

"Well, I'm glad you're suddenly so confident of my abilities, when before you talked about how easily you could defeat me."

She steps closer, putting her face near his, and says in a low voice, "Are we going to go back and forth all day, or are we going to go do some killing?"

He stares her down for a moment, feeling the playful tension between them rise, before he looks over and sees everyone else staring at them. He steps back and coughs. "Alright! Let's, uh, get moving." He gathers everyone up and walks to the edge of the camp with Tortek. "I swear, that woman might be the death of me."

"It like that with tarkatans too," Tortek says. "Very sharp teeth. Dangerous to mate! Have to hold down."

"I'll keep that in mind..."

With their new gear on and spirits high, the small attack force moves on towards the next camp, leaving the survivors of this one as prisoners to be taken back to Tianshou by a few guards. To Kaito's dismay, however, they soon learn that this camp is much more strategically placed, in a wide and open area, with no hills or trees nearby. Their current vantage point is still very far away, and even from this distance, they can see that this encampment is larger than the last one, perhaps by about ten men or so. They also seem to be more diligent; it is the early evening and they are up and about, training, patrolling and readying themselves.

Kaito and the others keep low as they spy and observe, learning as much as they can about these new foes. To his amazement and shock, he sees several of the camp's warriors making way for a large man-though he is no normal man. He is a centaur, with dark skin and large curling horns emerging from his head. The muscular upper body appears like a man's, but the lower half is entirely equine in nature, with large hooves that stomp and tramp as he makes his way through the camp. He carries a large axe and his facial hair appears as thick as his skull, particularly his forehead which is ridged and wide.

"You guys never told me you had centaurs," Kaito whispers.

"They are from across the sea," one of the men whispers back. "Their kind serves the Emperor in his Extermination Squads."

"Centaur, shokan and tarkata serve the Emperor," Tortek adds. "All hate each other, but all work together."

"This Emperor is one hell of a guy to have armies of these monsters all answering to him," Kaito says with a low whistle. "I'd hate to see what he could do if he's strong enough to cow them into submission."

The centaur walks through the center of the camp, and Kaito notes his long, segmented metal tail, looking almost like a scorpion's, that emerges from the back of his horse end. It sways as he moves, though eventually he walks deeper into the camp and disappears from sight.

Nearby, hugging a tree and sticking low to the ground, Sareena speaks. "It's a good camp. It won't be easy to take, even if reinforcements show up from the other villages."

"No wine, no way to sneak up on them..." he mutters. A new train of thought begins to chug away in his head. "Alright then, we take them out of the camp. We lure them out and attack from the sides." He looks back at the lead Tianshou soldier. "Yanake said you guys are good at traps, right?"

"We'll start digging!" he replies, moving back to talk to the men.

For the next few hours, as night begins to rise with the moon and the purple sky, the men work. Kaito and Sareena sit in observation of the camp, pausing only to take a meal. After three hours, the men report back that they have managed to dig a few small trenches; nothing too deep, but they managed to line them with wooden spikes from branches, and cover them up with rudimentary materials, more than enough to obscure them in the dark of night.

Kaito looks over at Sareena. "I want you to take the four best men we have and lead them around to the backside of the camp. When I lure them out, you'll attack from behind. Tortek and I can handle the rest with the rest of the men."

She narrows her eyes. "You're going to lure them out? By yourself? How do you mean to do that?"

He looks out at the camp. "I've been thinking about that for a while now. I think I'll just go out there and insult them. Should draw out at least a few, or keep attention focused on me. I'll bring as many as I can back out here, into the pits, and then you'll attack from behind."

She shakes her head. "You're either the bravest or the stupidest human I've ever met."

"What about good looking?" he asks with a smile.

"Not even close." She wags her finger as she moves off to collect the men. Once she has her small force, she leaves to sneak around the long way towards the back of the camp as Kaito prepares himself for what comes next. Taking a deep breath, he walks out in the open and towards the camp.

'I'm not much of a tactician,' he reflects as he walks. 'I've never really had to think about this kind of stuff before. I suppose Sareena's right—I am the stupidest human she's ever met. But then again, how many humans could that be? Well, a lot, I suppose, but—"

"HALT!" a voice from the camp rings, startling Kaito out of his train of thought. "Who goes there?"

He stops in the middle of the field and can see several eyes from the camp upon him. He lifts up his head and clears his throat, mentally and physically preparing for what he is about to do. He cups his hands around his mouth and he shouts.

"HEY! THE EMPEROR IS A COWARD! ALL WHO FIGHT FOR HIM ARE COWARDS, TOO!"

At first, there isn't much of a reaction; they stare at him and each other. Then uproarious laughter follows, along with much belly-grabbing and knee-slapping. One of them, a fairly large fellow, picks up an axe and hefts it over one shoulder as he walks out towards Kaito with the attitude of a man going to chop wood and just as relaxed. He stops in front of Kaito and looks down at him.

"You in the mood to die?" he asks, amused. "If so, you came to the right place."

"I'm in the mood to fuck your mother. Is this is the right place for that, too?"

That seems to set him off a bit more effectively. He reaches up with his other hand, grabbing the handle before swinging the axe down at him. Using his speed, Kaito carefully sees the attack coming and darts in under the chopping blade before punching the man in the neck. The blade pieces the skin and he falls back, holding a hand over his bleeding wound. Kaito follows up his attack with a few punches to his gut and chest, each one cutting a little deeper, until the man no longer moves.

He stands up and looks at the camp, holding up his blood hands. "IS THAT ALL YOU GOT? COME ON!"

What he gets in reply is an inhuman roar. From his central abode, the centaur emerges and trots over to the edge of the camp, looking at the human with red eyes. For a moment, Kaito worries that the horseman is going to come after him personally, but then he rears up on his hind legs, kicking his hooves out into the air as he points. "Bring me his head! A pile of gold for the man who does it!"

That certainly motivates the men, as half the camp now swarms out, weapons in hand. "Oh, shit," Kaito mutters under his breath as he turns and runs. Axes and rocks are thrown at his back as he sprints back towards the trap area, where the villagers wait in hiding on either side. Though he runs with desperation, he does not forget that the traps are hidden and where to run so as not to fall right into one of them, which would be a short end for his story.

He runs down the middle and they are right behind him, and all but a few quickly tumble into the holes and trenches. The sounds of snapping and cracking are heard as they fall upon the sharpened sticks, and upon most of the soldiers tumbling in, the villagers make their move. From the trees on either side of the road, logs, rocks and spears are dropped, rolled and thrown onto or at the oncoming force before they charge in with their weapons at the ready.

Kaito turns around, his feet skidding along the dirt for a moment, as he sees three chasing after him who didn't end up in the pit. He raises his hands and blasts them with lightning, briefly illuminating the dark battlefield shocking them into a stunned state. That's when Tortek runs up and beheads one with a single swipe before tackling another to the ground, tearing into his neck with his teeth while two villagers gang up on the third.

Kaito and Tortek work to finish off the group in the trap area as Sareena leads the other half of their force against the back of the camp. With all attention drawn towards the end where the battle is happening, nobody sees them coming as she runs up to the wall and flips over it. When she lands, she throws a dagger into the neck of a sentry before taking out a dagger and slicing the throat of a soldier as he turns towards her. The four men get past the wall and follow her as she twirls about the camp, deftly dealing death in a demonic dance.

With the initial group taken care of and Sareena in the camp, Kaito leads the rest in a frontal assault against the camp, now openly leading with his powers. One of the sentry guards fires an arrow at him, and in response he aims his hand and arcs a lightning blast at the metal head, destroying it and the shaft. The men around him cheer as they rush up to the walls of the camp, breaking through. For his part, Kaito holds up both palms and unleashes a storm of bolts against the wood, setting it on fire before barreling through.

As the villagers attack, Kaito strides towards the heart of the camp, where he comes face-to-face with the centaur captain. He is much taller than the human, and now that he is up close he can see how thick and mottled the horseman's skin is.

The centaur's black lips curl away from yellowed teeth. "I did not think I would get to spill blood today! I think I will use your skull as a cup to drink it!"

Kaito stares him down and then holds up a finger. "One question, o mighty centaur."

"I am Tyrus! Speak your last and then be destroyed."

"Which one was it? Your father or your mother?"

His face scrunches in confusion. "Which one was what?"

Kaito puts on his biggest grin. "The horse."

If he had been a cartoon, the centaur's face would turn red and steam would blow from his nostrils. He brings his arms up as he rears upon his hind legs again, kicking out with his front ones in a show of dominance and intimidation, though he is cautious, Kaito is hardly afraid (or at the very least, not willing to show his fear).

From across the clearing of the camp, the centaur charges at him, roaring as he prepares to run Kaito down with all the speed and force his equine lower half can afford. The human waits and then rolls forward, holding out an arm and cutting the centaur's leg as he runs past, but not deeply enough to take him down. The centaur slows to a stop but not before reaching down and grabbing two Tianshou villagers, hoisting them both up in one hand each. As Tyrus turns around, his metal tail swinging and knocking over another villager, he smashes their heads together and then tosses them aside.

"That's one strong horse," Kaito mutters as he gets back up. The centaur's front hoof scrapes at the ground, kicking up dirt as he prepares to charge again. Kaito suddenly drops low and attempts to hit him with a bolt of lightning, but the centaur brings his arms back up in a cross before him. He bears the blast with barely as much as a charred hair on his head before lowering his arms and smiling. "Lovely…"

Tyrus leans forward and runs at the human, who again waits for his moment, feeling like a bull fighter without a red flag. Instead of rolling this time, he dashes forward and moves to the right, attacking the centaur's rear left leg, cutting much more deeply than before. Now he falls and crashes into a weapons rack, knocking swords, shields and spears all over. His metal tail violently thrashes from side to side, keeping Kaito at bay as the centaur picks himself up, grabbing a spear as he does so.

He spins around, jabbing and swinging with the spear. Kaito dodges or blocks each attack from the spear, deflecting the sharp head with the metal blades on his gauntlets. With each probing strike, the centaur takes a step forward, slowly pushing the human back. As he blocks each thrust, Kaito thinks about using his lightning powers, but decides to hold back and concentrate his energy until he can get a better opening. With Sareena, Tortek and the others all battling around him, it's just him and the four-legged fiend facing off. For a moment they are separated when one of the sentry towers is chopped down at the base, taking two guards down with it. The tower falls between the two of them, but Tyrus leaps over it and roars as he attacks once more.

As they near the edge of the camp's center, the centaur rears upwards, using its front legs to kick over another weapons rack. It twirls the spear around and keeps it trained on Kaito as he circles around, trying to get behind his foe, but Tyrus continually faces him. Kaito looks down at his feet and sees a round, metal shield. He kicks up the shield to his hands and throws it, but the centaur merely knocks it aside with his boney wrist. Tyrus then turns and whips its metal tail at Kaito's legs, knocking him down.

The human rolls aside as the spear is thrust into the dirt, narrowly avoiding it. The centaur leaves the spear behind and now tries merely stomping on Kaito, moving atop him and using his front hooves to trample him into the dirt. On his back, he crawls away while trying to keep himself from being stomped by the massive stone-like hooves. He brings up his arms to block, but the centaur is large and relentless—the weight behind each attack is enough to hurt.

Kaito takes a hoof to the side of the face and grunts. As his head is forced down into the mud and held there, he charges his hands with electricity and grabs the leg, shocking the centaur into stepping off. Quickly pushing himself up onto a knee, Kaito attacks his underbelly, which tightens from the jolts that he delivers with each punch. He begins to back up in retreat, but now it's Kaito's turn to be relentless as he gets up to his feet and goes after him, punching at the centaur's upper body with his lightning fists, using his speed and rage to overcome his opponent's defense. The centaur backs over some of its own men in its haste to escape and is forced through the camp wall.

Tyrus turns and swings his metal tail at Kaito, who was ready for it this time. He catches it and charges his inner power, causing electricity to surge up the tail and stun the centaur as the volts make contact with the horse-part's spine. The mighty foe lets out a terrible roar as Kaito unleashes everything he has into the metal of the tail, overcharging his nervous system and frying him. When he finally turns off the juice and lets go, the centaur falls onto its knees before Kaito, his hair charred and its skin smoking.

But not dead. The centaur looks up at Kaito as he charges a fistful of lightning. The human punches the centaur in the mouth, a super-charged burst impacts his teeth and forces his fist halfway down the horseman's throat. The centaur's eyes are wide as he releases the energy contained in his fist, frying the centaur's head from the inside out and making his eyes pop out before the skull fractures. Kaito is showered in bits of brain, skull and blood.

The headless corpse falls down to the side, smoke wafting from the hole in the neck. Kaito shakes off his hand as he looks down upon his fatality, breathing heavily.

"I hope it wasn't your father," he mutters with a grim chuckle. "I'd feel terrible for the mom."

Kaito reenters the camp to find Tortek licking the blood off of his blades. Sareena is overseeing the rounding up of any surviving enemies and their capture, as well as freeing the camp's slaves. Weapons, armor and other gear are being collected nearby by the head of the villagers. There are also wounded, and some dead, including the two that Tyrus bashed together.

"None escaped," Tortek reports. "All dead or tied up."

Sareena walks up and looks at the muddy hoof print on Kaito's face. "Did you have fun playing with the horse?"

"Oh, it was great, I'm thinking of picking one up for a pet," he sarcastically replies, taking a moment to sit down and massage his throbbing forehead.

One of the men approaches Kaito for advice. "What should we do with these prisoners? Same as last time, march them south? We lost men this time and may not be able to afford it."

Before he can answer, another one of Tianshou's warriors from the edge of the camp calls out. He says that others are approaching from the south. At first, they think it may mean reinforcements for the enemy and prepare themselves, picking up weapons and running to see. Kaito makes his way towards the front of the crowd and looks out, seeing at least thirty more people approaching, but they do not wave the banners of the Emperor—or rather, they do, but they are torn, shredded and coated in blood. These are villagers, from the ones they sent for. At their front is Yanake, walking with her wooden staff.

Kaito smiles, but cannot help but feel a bit of regret. Had he known these reinforcements were coming, perhaps there would be fewer dead than there are now, but what's done is done. He walks past the wall of the camp to come out and greet them, with Sareena and Tortek behind him. Yanake looks upon the conquered camp with a smile.

"You have helped us turn the tide of this conflict already," she says as they stop. "We are more than in debt to you as it is, but I would ask for your help in removing the final camp that stands in our way."

"Well, that's what we came out here to do," he says as he holds out his hand. "Good to see you again, but shouldn't you be back at the village?"

"One of the prisoners you freed came back to us with the word of what was happening. I decided to run to the other villages and collect these men and women to bring you reinforcement."

"Much appreciated. Come on in, we've got plenty of new arms and armor to go around, along with some wounded."

As they walk, Yanake looks at Kaito and says, "I must thank you. Before you arrived, we did not think we had a chance to fight back at the Emperor. Now, we have nearly broken through to the north and can help our besieged allies. Soon enough, I think, we will be looking upon the city."

Kaito shakes his head. "Think nothing of it."

"But it isn't nothing. It isn't. You are risking your life for strangers."

"Well… I guess a part of me always wanted to be a hero. I just never thought it would be like this. I imagined more costumes and supervillains, maybe a giant mech suit or a cool motorcycle… A utility belt, maybe."

Yanake seems to have lost understanding of what he's talking about. He smiles and waves it off as they enter the camp, where they take stock of their numbers. They have fifty-two villagers ready to fight, not counting the wounded. They also once more revisit the issue of the prisoners.

Sareena looks at the assembled force they now have. "We have enough to surround the enemy camp. We could send in these captives to deliver a warning, or we could execute them outside their walls. Or we could kill them now and be done with it."

"If they learn that both of their allied camps were destroyed, then they may retreat north," Yanake says.

Kaito rubs his chin. "Would that be a good thing?"

"With the siege going on up north, I do not know if Gozen would wish to send more men south. But by the time that they do, we may have already assembled a force strong enough to help liberate the city."

Kaito crosses his arms and thinks as he looks at the captives, all bound and held at spear point. "I say we march them to the last camp, let them go and send them in. Let them tell them what happened. We surround it and then talk to the man in charge. See if we can't intimidate him."

They all agree and spread out to make it happen. The decision is made to remain the night in this camp; dead bodies are moved out and everyone tries to get comfortable in the tents and enjoy the food the enemy soldiers had been keeping—Tortek in particular. Kaito, too sore to do much else other than lay his head down and sleep, does just that. The next morning is when the prisoners are rounded up and made to move as their band leaves the camp behind.

As they march, both Kaito and Yanake take up the front, neither walking ahead of the other. He certainly wouldn't mind her to, as she is more connected to these people than he and was already their leader, but when she meets his gaze and gives him a determined nod, he knows she sees him as an equal, though they have only recently met.

The road to the third camp does not prove to be a long one. By the time they arrive, it is only midday. When it is in sight, Yanake orders the release of the prisoners. With hands bound behind their backs, they run up to the camp as the villagers move to surround it. They watch as the prisoners enter and explain what has happened. Several minutes later, they are all forced onto the knees in a line, whereupon a large man with a sword executes them all one at a time. When this is done, he walks up to the edge of the camp and holds the bloody sword high, demanding to speak to the leader of this rebellion.

Yanake, Kaito, Sareena and Tortek all move up as one as the man emerges. He is clad from head to toe in red and silver plate armor, with a helm resembling a skull. His machete-like sword drips with blood as he walks out to meet with them. They stop when they meet at half way.

From behind the eyes of his mask, he stares at them, sizing each of them up. He focuses briefly on the three foreigners, but stops when he looks at Yanake. "I know you," he says, pointing the tip of his blade at her. "I was there the day they killed your father."

"And I know you as well," she says, sounding as though she is ready to spit in his face. "You are Hideyoshi, another lapdog of Gozen and the Emperor, sent here to oppress my people."

The armored man regards her not with contempt, but apathy. "Your words mean nothing. When Gozen hears of what has happened here, he will send more men."

"Maybe we're counting on it," Kaito says, drawing his attention. "I killed Tyrus myself. We could take on a lot more, you included."

The man is not fazed by the attempt at intimidation. He looks at Kaito, recognizing that he is not from this place, then at Tortek and Sareena. "I must wonder why an earthrealmer is here with a tarkatan and a member of the Brotherhood of Shadow."

Yanake cannot control her gasp as she looks at Sareena. Hideyoshi takes notice of this. "Ah, you did not know?"

Kaito quickly gets the attention back on him. "Hey, eyes up. You're talking to me now. You're going to head up to Gozen and tell him about your failure here. A bunch of villagers armed with pitchforks and rocks took out two of your camps and surrounded yours. I see you executed those men in there—I wonder what Gozen will do when he hears about this."

Hideyoshi's immobile form stares at Kaito for a tense moment. "We could take many of you out with us if we stood our ground here."

"Maybe you could, but that's a maybe, and it's a certainty that if you do you'll die."

"I would rather fight and die than surrender to weaklings like you."

"And every one of these villagers would rather fight you than see you walk off," Kaito points out. "And we've gotten two camps under our belt already."

"Your men are tired from fighting. They are not soldiers."

"Then maybe you and I should handle this. We could settle this in Mortal Kombat."

"Are you challenging me?"

"You wouldn't be the first," Kaito says. "And all who have fought me have lost." Technically a lie, but he doesn't need to let him know that. The man is silent for a moment, so he decides to add, "So, if you want to fight and die here, I'd be more than happy to oblige. But if you want to live another day and die a death that might have some meaning, I'll let you go."

"Gozen will not execute me. We will return, with a legion of soldiers."

"And when you do, I hope to meet you on that field of battle."

With a final glare, Hideyoshi returns to his camp and sounds the call to pack up and head north to rejoin the siege. The soldiers begin to pack up as the villagers make a wide enough gap in their ranks to allow them to start moving north.

"You're going to just let him walk away?" Sareena asks.

"No bloodshed on either side is the best option for both of us at this point. With the camps gone, we can take this news to the other villages and get their men to join us for the march north." He looks over at Yanake. "Correct?"

She nods, but is still uncertain of this latest revelation concerning Sareena. She looks at the demon and says, "Whispers from the north surround Gozen. They say he and his brother were both trained by the Brotherhood of Shadow." Her eyes dart between her and Kaito. "Is this true?"

"Even if it were true, I don't know the man," Sareena shrugs. "The Brotherhood is a vast organization. I am but one small part of it, trying to get my way back home."

"You are an assassin in the employ of an enemy," Yanake accuses.

This is when Kaito steps in once more. "Yanake, it's alright. She's with me due to circumstance; she isn't associated with this army. The three of us," he indicates Tortek as well, "never even meant to end up in these lands."

"She could go to Gozen and work with him. They belong to the same Brotherhood."

"It may surprise you to learn that the assassins of the Brotherhood are not exactly friends with each other," Sareena says with her arms folded. "Especially considering that advancement is achieved by killing your superiors."

"I don't trust her," Yanake says to him. "She may have killed for us, but I can feel a darkness within her. If we take her to the enemy up north, what is to stop her from defecting to the other side and betraying us?"

Sareena is about to speak again when Kaito holds up a hand. He walks Yanake off to the side to speak with her in private, away from prying ears. "I know. She's an assassin and therefore hard to trust. The sorcerer meant only to send me and Tortek to this place, but I dragged her in with me. Now she's stuck here too, just like me."

"How do you know she will not join the enemy?"

"I don't. I only have a feeling—and feelings are all I have to go on out here. You say that there could be a connection between Gozen and the Brotherhood, but she doesn't know him. There's no way for her to know that going to Gozen will solve her problem sooner than sticking with us. She may not like it, but she knows that she's with us for now."

"And if something should happen?"

"I'll take full responsibility. And if it comes down to it, I'll deal with her myself."

Yanake is silent as she contemplates his words. "For our sake, I hope it does not come to that."

"Yeah, me too. She's a sneaky one, that's for sure. If I don't keep an eye on her, I won't see her coming if she does turn on us. But, like I said, I don't think she will." He steals a look back at her as she stands, acting disinterested, though clearly watching them through the corner of her eyes. "I think she's almost too curious to stop spending time with us."

"Curious? What do you mean?"

"Well, I imagine that I'm a break in her routine, so to speak. She's talked a lot about getting back, but I think she's actually enjoying her time out here. Certainly the fighting."

"I trust your judgment if you believe it to be true," she says. "But still, I must warn you: they say that the Brotherhood of Shadow conspires with demons. Be careful around her."

Kaito looks back at her. "Have you ever seen a demon?"

"No, thank the Elder Gods. If we did, we would tie it to a stake and burn it alive to send it back to the hell from whence it came."

His mind briefly races before he reaches the logical conclusion to lie to her. "…Yeah, me neither."

As he runs a hand through his hair, she says, "We may have forced Hideyoshi north, but there is still work to be done. We need to gather our remaining allies. I will send word to the villages in the south; they will join us. But there are others we might yet want to consider making into allies."

"Such as?"

"There is a great forest to the east. Within its trees live bird-people, who have traditionally kept very little contact with outsiders. In the northeast, the great desert is home to the snakes, very dangerous, and they seek only riches. We would have to pay them, and as we have no money, we must appeal to the folk of the forest."

"Birdmen? Snakemen? And here I thought all you guys had were centaurs." He cups his mouth and chuckles a bit before straightening back up. "Okay. I think I'll speak with the bird-people. See what they have to say."

She nods and hands him a map of the region with the forest's location detailed upon it. "Be careful. They are not known to be friendly to intruders in their realm. Bring them word of our plight and our struggle against the Emperor."

"You think it will work?"

"If it were anyone else, I would think not," she says, stepping suddenly close. Before he can question her, she leans up and gives Kaito a kiss on the cheek. "For good luck," she whispers.

With a very brief goodbye, she turns and walks back towards her people. Kaito rubs his cheek and watches her go.

"She seems rather fond of you."

He nearly jumps as Sareena speaks, as she is right behind him. He faces her. "Sareena! You can't just—Look, that was just a—"

"Kaito, I understand. If you think I'm jealous, you're wrong. But I heard what she said about demons, and I thank you for covering for me. Even though all of these people would die trying to tie me down, the thought is nice."

"How did you hear?"

"I have my ways," she says with a wink and a sly smile. "Now then, I hear we have some birds in the woods to chat with."

He looks at the map in his hands and nods. "Let's get Tortek. We'll need him to come along. I don't know how these people will treat us, but better to be safe than sorry."

"Let us hope they don't revile tarkatans, then," she says with a smile. "In which case, you'll be sorry you were safe."

* * *

 **Yanake's design was based around the concept art for Li Mei. Fittingly enough, when I introduced her in the quest I had her being the leader of a small village, not to dissimilar from Li Mei's desire to protect her people in the Deadly Alliance tournament. But as that concerns events which are far off from this point, I wanted Yanake and her people's struggle to be a way to get Kaito into the larger conflicts in Outworld, to serve as a potential love interest, as well as introduce some new and old characters. Hideyoshi is from the Defenders of the Realm cartoon, for example, and Gozen's older brother is a classic Mortal Kombat character and a shrewd tactician himself. Coming in the next chapter is the introduction of one of the story's most important characters, but nobody knew it at the time, myself included! See you then.**


	6. Of Birdmen, Snakemen and Sphinxes

**When we last left our hero, he banded together with the village of Tianshou, led by the warrior Yanake, a fiery young woman with dreams of liberating her people. Aiding them in their cause, Kaito led the efforts to defeat three enemy camps, opening the path north for the villages of the south to unite and march to the aid of Xun-Koto, a city besieged by the Emperor's armies. Now he travels east, seeking more allies for the battles to come...**

 **Our story continues now.**

* * *

The journey eastward takes about a day, for it is night when they arrive. With instructions to return to Tianshou when they have either retrieved the help of the bird-people or been denied, Kaito walks with Sareena and Tortek, his mind focused on their objective. They pass south of the mountain upon which they faced Rokuro, and soon find themselves in the forest they were in originally, only now they are travelling far more east than they did before. The shadows of the night grow thick in this forest and soon a heavy mist begins to form around them the further on they go. The shroud is thick, creating a strange, almost dreamlike illusory haze that surrounds the thick trees they pass, each of which stretches up into a black canopy thick enough to block out most of the light of the night sky.

Tortek looks around, his shoulders low and his eyes wary. "This not good… Too many hiding places…"

Kaito looks around. "This place is strange… I wonder where they're supposed to be? Do they live on the ground, or up in the trees, like actual birds? Do they have giant nests? Just how humanoid are they, anyway?" He can't deny that he feels unmistakably anxious; of all the places he has been to in Outworld so far, this forest has unsettled him the most by a wide margin, affecting his senses in curious ways. For her part, Sareena stays silent and observant, her hand resting on a knife at her hip.

'I feel like I'm in an alien horror movie or something,' he thinks. 'Maybe I should try making first contact.'

Upon reaching a clearing, he stops in the center of it and looks around, as do his companions. He clears his throat and looks up at the trees around them. "Hello?" he calls out. "Anybody here?"

There is only silence at first, but then, a rustling is heard as the wind picks up. As the branches and blades of grass sway around them, a voice is seemingly carried on the wind, echoing yet distinct and clear from the silent background.

"Who intrudes into our domain?"

Looking at his allies for a moment, he then looks back up and speaks some more, bolstered by the prospect of communication. "My name is Akayama Kaito, and I speak for the villages to the west. I come not as an enemy, but as someone who seeks help. We mean to fight against the Emperor's forces."

At first, once more there is nothing until the wind returns, and with it, the voice. "You keep interesting company, Akayama Kaito. A demon of the Brotherhood of Shadow, and a tarkatan, a species well-known to be subservient to the Emperor you claim to be fighting against…"

'Shit, this guy knows his stuff,' he thinks. "I know what it must seem like, but they are my allies. I am from Earthrealm, originally! The three of us were displaced here from the Mortal Kombat tournament on Shang Tsung's island."

For a moment, all he receives is silence. Eventually the voice returns. "And what cause do we have to help you?"

Thinking fast on his feet, he replies, "If we do not repel the Emperor's forces here, they will return and claim these lands. Do you think your forest will be spared? These trees will be turned into weapons of war and siege engines. Do you want to see this happen?"

"Kaito!" Sareena warns, and he follows her gaze to a nearby growing cloud of fog. Between two trees emerges a waft of grey mist, and within it, a silhouette approaches. Tortek's blades shoots out and he growls as they hear footsteps growing closer.

Kaito's eyes narrow as he looks, trying to discern what the nature of the figure is. Taller than him and shaped like a man, with broad shoulders, but the head is something else. When he emerges from the mist, the human's eyes take a moment to confirm what he is seeing, for at first he does not believe: the man has the head of an eagle, with sharp eyes and a beak. The rest of his body is hidden beneath a cloak of purple and blue, ornate in styling and pattern, but his white feathers and the plume of feathery hair emerging from the back of his head matches his head.

A figure approaches from out of the mist. He is a tall, white-feathered man with the head of an eagle.

"I am Asgaarth. My people live in peaceful solitude, but now you ask us to help you fight. So I must ask in turn: do you think you can win?"

Keeping steady, Kaito swallows and says, "All I truly need is a chance to get at their leader. If we can capture or kill him and force them to retreat from the lands up north, this region will be spared, for the time being."

The eyes of the eagle do not blink as he stares hard at the human. "I have no love for the Emperor. My home and the home of my people was conquered by him millennia ago. But before we agree to help you, a task must be performed for us."

Kaito nods. "I will take up this task. What would you have me do?"

"An orb of mystical power was stolen from my people. The being responsible seeks to deliver it to the Emperor as a gift of good faith. He has wards upon his lands that keep us out, but not you."

"So, you want me to go get the orb and deliver it back to you? I can do that."

Sareena steps closer and leans to speak in Kaito's ear. "Don't be so hasty. I think we're wasting our time."

He gives her a strange look. "What? Why?"

"How do we know they will keep their word?" she points out. "And furthermore, how do we know they will even make a difference? He does not look so fearsome."

Asgaarth remains immobile as Kaito and Sareena turn to speak in private.

"It doesn't matter if they are fearsome or not, we could use all the help we can get. Besides, this fetch-quest doesn't sound so bad."

"It could take longer than we have time for. By the time we finish and return, they could already have been attacked by returning enemy forces."

"So then we can go back to her before we go and get the orb. I don't see the problem."

"I just think that it's convenient they would be willing to help for something so simple. It sounds like there is something more going on."

Though he has not moved, he has apparently heard them, for Asgaarth now speaks, "If you doubt our intent, we will provide assistance in your journey. His temple lies in the heart of the desert to the north."

"How will you assist us?" Kaito asks. "I thought you weren't able to enter his lands."

Asgaarth waves a hand and two more of the eagle-folk appear, bearing a jug of water. Kaito looks from them back to him.

"Fair enough. How will I know what the temple looks like?"

"You will know. There are none others like it." Asgaarth turns and says, "Retrieve the orb, and we will join your battle."

He is about to turn, but then Sareena steps forward. "Hold. How do we know that your help will be worth it?" she asks. "All we have seen are three of you."

"Sareena…" Kaito says as he reaches for her arm, but she holds firm.

"Show me your warriors," she demands.

Asgaarth's narrow eyes are fixed solely upon her. "They have been around you ever since you entered our domain, demon." With another wave of his hand, the fog around them begins to lift… revealing many figures in the trees. The three of them look up and suddenly realize they are surrounded by dozens of robed warriors, all of his species. Some are like hawks, while others are like ravens or crows. At least two or three are like owls, and all stare down at them as they perch upon the branches of the trees.

"We avians are a race of warriors," Asgaarth says. "Long ago we swore an oath to the king of our realm to be his greatest soldiers. Though he and our realm are gone, we have not forgotten, and we are no lesser in strength. More than powerful enough to handle a single assassin of the Brotherhood."

Sareena slowly nods. "Point taken…"

Asgaarth turns and flourishes his cloak out to one side as he does, summoning the fog. He and the many avian warriors vanish behind the veil once more, but the three travelers know well that they are still there, watching them. Kaito backs up and looks over at the demon. "Well, there you go," he tells her.

Tortek walks over to the jug of water and sniffs it. After confirming that it's fine, he hefts it onto his back. "Want to leave bird place now," he mutters, and he quickly shuffles past them. They both agree with his sentiment and quickly get on their way.

They spend one evening camping near the edge of the forest, taking turns sleeping. In the morning, they have a modest meal out of the supplies they received from Tianshou, mostly dried meats and small fruits. Tortek laments this, as he is growing tired of dry meat; he wishes he had some fresh Outworld boar to sink his teeth into, good and raw like he likes it. With the sun barely peeking over the purple horizon, they make their way to the desert, traveling around the mountain. When they reach its edge, they begin traversing the sands.

With the jug of water, they make occasional breaks to drink and remain hydrated, but even so the desert proves difficult to cross. As the day draws on, the sun grows hotter, not to mention the occasional dunes, rocks, pits and other things to avoid. But more than that, Kaito cannot help but feel that there is something else to the desert, and that they are being watched.

His thoughts prove rather correct when they come upon a figure lounging on a stone, apparently waiting for them. Her skin is covered in brown scales and she wears a feathered headdress. Her lower half terminates in a long, snake-like tail, making her appear to some kind of medusa, naga or similar serpentine creature of myth. They stop as she picks up her head, staring at them with wide, yellow eyes.

"And what do we have here, hm? Wanderers in the desert, lost in the sands?" Her long tongue flickers out between her lips as her eyes look upon them.

Kaito looks at Sareena and Tortek and asks, "You guys know anything about her kind?" They shake their heads. Kaito looks back at the snake woman, clears his throat and approaches her. "Hello. I'm not sure we're lost yet, but we are looking for a temple. Perhaps you could help us?"

The woman coils around the stone, extending outwards slightly too get a better look at Kaito. "Perhaps I do… but the sands stretch far and wide and hold many secrets… and not all secrets are so easily shared."

Kaito recalls what Yanake told him about the snake-people; they seek riches. With this in mind, he formulates his next respond very carefully.

"Perhaps there is something we could offer you?" Kaito suggests, slightly wary of whatever she may ask. For all he knows, other snake-people could be setting up a trap. The others seem to think so as well, as their eyes are currently focused elsewhere in case any others of her kind slither out of the sands and rocks.

She lazily lounges on the rock and looks him up and down. "A meal, perhaps…" she says with a smile, her tongue slithering between her lips.

Kaito gulps. "How about payment for information?" He holds up the bag of coins he received from the old man and jingles it to make enough noise to draw her attention.

Now, she's very interested. "Hmmm… Perhaps I can lead you there in exchange for those… but hand them over first."

Kaito opens the bag and pours out the coins in the sand. The snake woman watches with great interest as he divides them in half.

"Half for you now, half for when you bring us to the temple."

Her eyes widen subtly. "I never agreed to bring you there."

"It's that or no coins," Kaito says, getting ready to scoop them into the bag.

She reacts almost desperately. "NO! No, wait! I'll bring you to the temple. I know where it is. Give me the coins. Give them to me!"

Kaito steps back from the half on the ground and she slithers up to them, quickly collecting them in a small pouch she has on a belt she wears about her waist. She coils upwards after doing so and says, "Follow me. And you had best keep your word!"

Kaito, Tortek and Sareena travel behind the snake woman, who travels just as a snake does, slivering along and leaving a smooth trail in the sand behind her tail. She travels low to the ground with her arms at her sides in an almost hypnotic-like motion. As fascinating as she is to behold, they also don't want to spend any more time in the sun as they need to, and so continue onwards.

The journey seems to take an hour or two. As Kaito begins to question how she can tell her way around the seemingly same-looking areas of the desert, she slides to the top of a large dune and looks down upon something.

"There," she calls back. "There is the temple you seek."

Kaito looks over and sees a large, brown building that evokes imagery of the ancient pyramids from Earth, albeit more complex in design. The building is surrounded by four pillars, one at each corner, and there are several platforms and statues near its main entrance, which is a great and large archway that leads into darkness.

"Now pay me," she insists.

"What do you know about this place?" Kaito asks, holding onto his bag.

"Only that it is cursed, and that forsaken spirits dwell within, unliving, yet undying. It is not a place my people go, but it is said that there are great treasures within. All who have tried to claim them have died."

'A cursed pyramid, huh...'

Kaito nods and tosses her the bag. She happily takes it and slithers off into the dunes, quickly vanishing from sight.

Sareena watches her go. "How do we know she led us to the tight temple?"

"Asgaarth said that there's only one like this out here. We'll just have to see."

He climbs down the dune carefully and they follow him up to the entrance. There, among the statues, they behold something they didn't see from their earlier vantage point, or they mistook it for a statue. It is a creature, very large, with the body of a cat and the wings of an eagle, but the torso and head of the thing resembles that of an attractive human woman with dark brown hair that matches the coat of her more feline-like body parts. As they approach, she picks her head up from her relaxed position and folds her front two paws in front of her while she reaches backwards.

This is also when Kaito can't help but notice her rather well-endowed chest, each massive mammary nearly as large as he is and nude as they day he was born, out and in the open in all their glory. He forces himself to look up into her eyes, which glow eerily as she observes them. They stop not far from her, cautiously wondering what will happen.

"Greetings," she says to them, spreading her large wings behind her. "I am the guardian of this temple. Answer my riddles three, and passage will be given to thee."

"Oh boy, here we go," Kaito says. "So you're a sphinx, then?"

She seems almost flattered. "A well-travelled man, I respect that."

"And if we don't answer your riddles, what happens? We die?"

Her eyes flash. "Correct."

"Well then, lay them on."

"First: You may swallow me, but I may swallow you. What am I?"

"I already said you were a sphinx," Kaito says wryly, but then her eyes flash again. "Wait! That wasn't the real answer. Just give me a moment to think."

Sareena and Tortek look at each other as the human retreats into deep thought. He stands off to one side and thinks for several moments. Tired of carrying the water jug, Tortek takes it off his back and sets it down; the sloshing water serves initially as a distraction, but then he can't stop thinking about it. His mind then also goes back to the magical water given to him by Phlox, which jostles slightly when he shakes it. That's when it comes to him, and he snaps his fingers. "Got it! Water!" He looks back at the sphinx. "The answer is water."

She is impressed. "Correct. Next… What is it that overcomes you and you never see it?"

Kaito looks up at the large creature, again folding his arms and cupping his chin. "Overcomes you, but you do not see it… Fear, Sleep, Anger… Lust?"

The creature chuckles and Sareena rolls her eyes. "You are correct enough, I think. The truth was sleep, but all of those are good enough. My final riddle, however…" She leans forward, glaring down at the warrior. "What belongs to you, but others use it more than you do?"

He smirks, having heard the riddle before. "That's too easy: it's your name. Speaking of, my name is Kaito. What's yours, bright eyes?"

The sphinx recoils back with a pleased smile on her face. She moves her large wing out of the way and allows them passage into the temple proper. "You have answered my riddles three, and thus passage is granted to thee. My name is Turana, and it has been a very long time since any have answered my riddles three. But be warned; my master has set more challenges ahead."

"Who is your master? Why does he keep you guarding his front door?"

"My master is Sumancothep, a great undead sorcerer. He has bound me here, and others in his service, for generations."

Kaito rubs his chin. "Undead sorcerer, eh… Could be tricky. Can he be killed?"

"All can be killed," she replies.

"Fair enough. What manner of challenges lie ahead of me?"

"He will attempt to trick you. Play mind games, lead you down false passages and into traps. This temple is a place of death and deceit."

He is about to thank her and enter, when he stops and looks back up at her. "And what of you, Turana? Don't you want to leave? Perhaps see other lands or realms?"

"I am afraid that I cannot leave this place, so long as Sumancothep binds me here. Once I was free, but no longer."

Kaito puts his hands together and cracks his knuckles. "We'll see about that."

Kaito enters the temple, with Sareena and Tortek behind him. They are relieved to finally be out of the sun.

"What was that about?" Sareena asks. "You don't mean to take that thing with us, do you?"

"If not with us, then we could at least free her," he suggests. "Although, it would be interesting to have a giant sphinx as an ally. She seems like she could be quite powerful."

Sareena rolls her eyes. "Yes. I noticed how much attention you paid to her assets."

He can't quite tell if that was pity or jealousy subtly woven within her words, but before he can discern it, they come upon a split in their path. The hallway opens up to three more passages, all seemingly identical, save for one stone at the top of each opening: one marked with an eagle, one marked with a snake, and one marked with a dog.

"Perhaps we should split up," Sareena suggests. Tortek shakes his head, not willing to do so.

Kaito approaches one of the stone markers. The markings are very akin to ancient hieroglyphics from Kaito's home realm, much like how the pyramid itself and the sphinx recalled Egyptian themes in his head. The many pictures on the walls seem to tell many stories, but Kaito cannot translate them. Images of great beasts, humans, birds, the sun, the moon and all manner of familiar imagery can be seen, but the passages seem all fairly similar in nature. What difference these hieroglyphs might serve in Outworld as compared to Earthrealm is unknown to him as well.

"Well, one is just as good as the other," Kaito says, turning down the path of the dog. "Let's see where this takes us."

Sareena pauses and strikes up a torch given to them by the people of Tainshou as they go deeper into the temple. The walls continue to be covered in intricate patterns, pictures and reliefs as they search the great hall for any other doors or similar openings.

As they round a corner, they come face-to-face with a blank wall.

"Dead end," Kaito says, turning around, only to see the way they came is now a similar blank wall. They are enclosed in a square space. "That's… a problem." Before the others can say anything else, a great rumbling sound is heard from above. Dust falls form the ceiling as it begins to lower.

"Dead is correct," Sareena says, searching the walls immediately for some kind of way out. Tortek looks frantically around for an answer, quickly resorting to panic.

As Kaito and Sareena search the walls, Tortek suddenly stops and smells something. He begins sniffing around.

Kaito notices him sniffing the walls. "Tortek! Look for a way out!"

"I am!" he replies. "I smell… I smell something!"

As he nears a corner, Kaito quickly walks over as the ceiling comes dangerously close and looks, seeing a small picture of a dog near the floor. He presses down upon it, and the brick moves inwards like a button.

The ceiling stops moving and Sareena lets out a sigh of relief, having already put her hands on it. The walls disperse as if by magic, fading away and revealing the hallway again; both the way they came from and where they were going. Slowly, the great block raises back upwards, righting itself until it is once more in place where it originally began.

"Good boy," Kaito says, patting the tarkatan on the head.

Tortek smiles and looks over at Sareena. "I'm a good boy," he says in a giddy tone. She rolls her eyes and also pats him on the head, begrudgingly thanking him for not being crushed to death.

Allowing Sareena to lead, they continue walking onwards and come to a circular chamber. The chamber has two other entrances, presumably from the other two hallways. The chamber has a small body of water at its center. Streams of water file down from the walls into grooves that lead into it. Peering into the water, Kaito sees that it is actually very deep, with the bottom nowhere in sight.

Kaito looks around the room, studying the images. From what he can tell, it depicts the ritual sacrifice of countless lives, and the transfer of their dead to the afterlife. There are those who remain, however, trapped in dead bodies and ruling over the lands of the living. He sees a small rock, likely part of the wall that chipped off, and picks it up before dropping it into the water and watching it. It vanishes from sight and the water ripples eventually fade.

"I wonder where it leads," Kaito says. He looks at the walls and sees a relief resembling water, and passing through it, humans enter the realm of the dead, where spirits attempt to pull them into a great river. "Looks like this makes it out to be some kind of portal."

Tortek looks fearfully at the water, as he is not able to swim. Sareena crosses her arms. "Well? Shall we?"

He sighs, mentally preparing himself for whatever may come. He takes off some of his things, keeping only what he needs on him so as not to be weighed down. Afterwards, he looks up at them both as Sareena hands Tortek the torch. "I'll see you on the other side."

Kaito takes a deep breath and leaps within, finding himself transported through the tube and into a swirling vortex where he quickly spirals out of control. Though incredibly dizzy, he keeps his breath of air and focuses on not losing it. He feels stretched, warm and cold all at the same time, much like how he felt when he first entered Outworld and when Quan Chi sent him through his portal. The water rushes all around him, pushing him towards some unknown destination

When he surfaces, he is under a dark sky in another place, perhaps another realm entirely, with fading images of mountains, clouds and dead trees, all shifting and changing around him. He blinks and breathes deeply as he focuses on staying afloat in the strong current of black water he finds himself caught in. Kicking his legs, he swims towards a nearby shore.

As he swims, he suddenly feels something grab his foot and pull him under. He barely has time to take a breath as he is yanked down, coming face-to-face with a bleached-white skeleton. But unlike the last skeletal abomination he fought, this one is not alone; soon more rise from the depths of murky darkness, reaching for him and ready to pull him further down. He panics as the horde of boney hands grows ever nearer; needless to say, he doesn't particularly care to die by drowning, especially not when the last thing he'll see is their hands.

He charges his lightning and channels it into the black water around him, which breaks many of the arms that are reaching for him, shattering them completely. Now free for the moment, he swims to the surface with renewed vigor and makes it to the shore. A moment later, Sareena surfaces and swims, not being pulled under due to Kaito's previous trick.

"Tortek?" he asks her, panting hard.

"Still afraid of water," she says as she pulls back her wet black and white hair.

"Well, at least he doesn't have to deal with those things." Free of danger for the moment, he looks around at the nightmarish landscape. It stretches on into a shifting void; the horizon seems at times both very near and very far away. Ancient structures and dead trees litter the area, all twisted into strange shapes by time, distance and the strange properties of this place. "What is this place? Is this the Netherrealm?"

Shake shakes her head. "No… This place has a different feel to it. If it is a part of the Netherrealm, it is not a region I have ever been to."

In the distance floats a pyramid, hanging in the void, with a single trail of land stretching to meet it. The light around it seems to bend and shift, adding to its surreal look, but it is also the only structure around them that isn't destroyed or exposed. It floats above a sea of nothingness that causes one to become even more disoriented if stared at for too long. "I suppose that's where we need to go," Kaito says, standing and shaking off the black water. "This day is turning out not quite how I imagined it would."

"You can say that again," she agrees. Sareena stands and follows him as they head towards the pyramid. Before they can reach it, the sounds of beating wings reaches their ears and a great scarab emerges from a black cloud above, its shining black carapace broken up by large spikes. They watch as it lands on the bridge, acting as a guard, folding its wings behind its back. The massive insect's legs are poised to strike, and they are both on guard.

"Any ideas on how to handle this one?" she asks.

"I have a few, yeah," he says, picking up a stone and throwing it at the scarab. It bounces off of its head and it lets out a chattering cry as its wings unfold once more and it charges.

Kaito and Sareena duck out of the way, rolling to opposite sides of the monster and then sprinting towards the bridge when it passes. The scarab turns around and chases them up. Looking back, he realizes that it will close in on them before they can reach the entrance. He turns around and charges his electricity. "Let's see what happens when lightning strikes a bug!"

Kaito thrusts a hand out and blasts the scarab with lightning, stopping it in its tracks. At first the creature seems to resist, but the more lightning he pumps into the creature's carapace, the more it turns red from the heat. Its carapace cracks and shatters and the green flesh beneath roasts as the creature explodes from within, utterly destroyed. He lowers his hands as the creature's smoking corpse falls off of the bridge and into the spiraling void below.

"Very impressive," Sareena compliments him.

"Why thank you, I try very hard," he smiles as he pants. His eyes stray back up to the pyramid. "Now… let's see who's behind all of this." They enter the pyramid, finding it to be mostly hollow, save for a grand throne room of glittering golden coffin-lined walls, floors and a single chair at its heart. Upon it sits a decrepit being, a mummified warrior with a sword in one hand, eyes rotted out of its dry, skeletal head and long fingers stretched over a glowing orb in his lap—undoubtedly the very orb they are here to claim. His body is bound in ancient wrappings, but when they enter he moves all the same, looking up at them with his expressionless, dead face.

"Sumanthotep, I take it," Kaito calls out.

"Co," Sareena corrects him. "Suman-CO-thep."

"Whatever."

A cackling voice echoes throughout the chamber as the mummy laughs. "You know not to whom you speak, mortal."

"I just said it, didn't I?" Kaito asks. "Hand over the orb and we won't have to get ugly. I mean, you're already ugly, but you know what I mean."

"You will perish and serve me in the afterlife… Your souls will nourish me for centuries to come."

"Alright, well then, let's see it happen," Kaito taunts. "Come on then, Ramses, let's see what you've got. You're not too old to get it up, are you? Excuse me, I meant get up from your chair."

Unamused by his antics, the figure rises and outstretches his hand. At his mental command, the chamber is filled with the moans of the dead. From the dusty coffins lining the chamber walls emerge corpses in various stages of decomposition. They pick up swords and prepare to close in as his voice fills the air. "Bring me his head, my minions…"

"If I had a nickel for every time I heard that…" Kaito mutters.

"You'd have two nickels," Sareena points out.

"Still more than none." Kaito summons up lightning to blast the nearest undead warriors, but finds them somewhat resistant to the attack. He leaps back from a swung sword as he tries it again, but finds himself somewhat drained after the powerful blast he used on the scarab outside. He goes for a punch with his spiked gauntlet, but the tough flesh of the corpse is unyielding to his efforts and the zombie itself feels no pain.

Sumancothep points at Kaito and the undead close in. Sareena performs an acrobatic maneuver before roundhouse kicking the head off of one of the corpses, only for it to keep coming at her, madly swinging its sword. She kicks the body down to the floor where it writhes as Kaito keeps blasting lightning at them, setting one on fire.

"I think we need a different strategy!" she suggests.

Kaito rolls forward as one of the undead swing a sword at him. An idea comes to mind, a long shot, but anything is worth trying at least once. He takes out the bottle of magical grotto water and opens it, dipping a few fingers within. He splashes them onto one of the undead and to his amazement, the corpse falls back, its bone dissolving wherever the water hit! The undead's leg dissolves, taking it down to the floor.

Kaito looks down at the mummified sorcerer commanding his minions. As one of them swings another sword his way, he rolls forward and dashes towards their leader. More undead come at him as he reaches the stairs that lead up to the throne.

Sumancothep points his sword at Kaito and from it emerges a blast of darkness that surges towards him, faster than he can react. Kaito's eyes widen as the black bolt overtakes him, covering him in a dark aura, a creeping cold that chills him to the bone. As the undead close in behind him, Sumancothep laughs, his cackling voice ringing in the human's ears. "Now, mortal, your death will come slowly…"

He struggles against the power, but it holds him down. Nearby, Sareena is kept at bay by a wall of undead, all pushing her back. Unable to help him, she focuses on defending herself, swatting away the swords with her blade.

Kaito closes his eyes and feels the chill of death's touch start to overtake him. His veins run black and blue, his breath slows and his heart nearly stops. Sumancothep's spell is powerful, draining him of energy, motivation and hope. His fists clench tightly as he grits his teeth, determined to not let this sorcerer get the better of him. 'This… Mumm-Ra reject… isn't going to win!'

Sumancothep, however, disagrees. Certain of his victory, he taunts the human again as his undead now surround him. "Pray to whatever gods will listen, mortal! Your soul will not be going to them, it shall be my plaything!"

Kaito shakes as he begins to lose all sensation. Somewhere, deep within him, something calls out. It cries against this fate and grows from a small flame to a burning inferno, raging within him. As the undead raise their swords, he looks up at the sorcerer upon his throne, finding the strength to speak, and then to shout.

"I… will not die… within this place! NOT LIKE THIS! NOT TO YOU! AND NOT TO ANYONE IN THIS FORSAKEN LAND!"

Sumancothep leans forward as the man's eyes begin to glow white, and then bright red. They flash back and forth for a moment before staying red as Kaito roars. The energy within him returns tenfold, a boost of power unlike anything he has ever felt before, even since acquiring his powers, surging outwards from his chest in a series of red lightning bolts. His fists, clenched so hard that blood is drawn, glow with a similar red energy.

The undead all swing at once, but their weapons shatter upon coming into contact with the energy field that now surrounds him. The black aura around him similarly shatters, the spell torn asunder as the room lights up with red energy before a great wave emerges from his body that sends Sumancothep and all of the undead reeling. Sareena shields her eyes as the undead in front of her fall before she looks on at Kaito, his body wreathed in red lightning. Her eyes grow wide as she takes in the awesome sight.

Picking up the bottle from the ground, Kaito wordlessly hefts it behind him before hurling it towards the sorcerer. It shatters on his skin, spreading the sanctified grotto water all over his dry, decayed flesh. The mummy lets out a scream as it makes contact, for it immediately begins to eat away at him like acid. In place of a living body to heal, the water instead seeks to correct him another way, by dissolving all that he is.

For a moment, he watches the water attack the mummy, but eventually Kaito raises a hand and slams it onto the ground, summoning forth a bolt of lightning that resounds with a great thunderclap, splitting the temple floor and the pyramid around it in two like a mountain. The ceiling breaks away, cracked open like a nutshell, stone and metal breaking and bending. Fragments of the pyramid fall off and into the void, and the mummy's throne similarly is split in two uneven fragments, barely held together.

With the temple falling away behind him, Kaito strides forward and grabs ahold of the orb from the undead warrior's hands, tearing it out of his grasp. He regards it for only a moment before looking back at the withering sorcerer and lifting a hand in preparation for delivering the death blow.

The sorcerer holds up a defeated, shaking hand. "WAIT! WARRIOR! I can send you home! I know you—know your quest! Eyes are upon you that you cannot know—but I can send you home, far away from all of this! But give the command and I, I shall obey!"

Kaito holds up the orb, feeling it empower his rage, but he is not unable to completely drown out the words. He recognizes the offer and for a moment, he considers it. He could leave… He could go back to Earthrealm. As the sorcerer looks hopefully upwards, Kaito smiles and holds up a fistful of red lightning before slamming it into the sorcerer's face, unleashing all of his power within. The body is charred and twitches before turning to ash, with the rest of the undead following. With their master destroyed, they too wither and die—and so does the remaining power of the pyramid.

Sareena runs up the stairs. "Kaito! Kaito, we need to leave, NOW!"

Kaito turns back to look at her, finally noticing the number he's done on the temple. The red lightning fades as he returns to normal, beaten up and worse for wear but fully himself again. He is amazed at what he beholds; the temple split in half and crumbling into the void around them. 'Shit, did I do that?'

"Come on!" she shouts. They run down the stairs and out the entrance as the temple falls, the magical weave of this demi-realm no longer sustained by the sorcerer's spirit. The darkness of the yawning void creeps inwards, devouring the lands around them, returning the matter to the nothingness from which it was spawned.

As they make it to the river of black water containing the portal back to Outworld, Kaito stops suddenly and looks far into the horizon, drawn by something he doesn't quite understand. As Sareena stops by the water's edge, she looks back at him. "What is it? We need to leave!"

He doesn't immediately respond. His eyes, wide and fixed on whatever it is, are gazing far away, across whatever dimensions this realm stretches across, and across that immeasurable gulf something stares back at Kaito in the form of two burning yellow fires amidst a black sea of darkness.

It is Somancothep's master, whatever it may be, and it knows him now.

Kaito shakes out of his stupor and leaps into the water, finding the portal within, and Sareena follows him. They both swim towards the vortex below, unhindered by the skeletons for they too have fallen apart without their master to sustain them. The whirling black portal draws them in the nearer they swim until it eventually sucks them into its mouth, stretching them across the realms and back to their origin point, deep within the temple in Outworld.

Once through, Kaito surfaces in the chamber and is quickly helped up by Tortek. "You okay?" the tarkatan asks. "Hurt bad?"

"No, just wet," Kaito coughs up some of the black water. Sareena follows and they both help her out. She gasps for air and shakes her head. Both she and Kaito are positively soaked, but unsure if they are out of danger yet, and so look around. The temple around them is quiet, and no further illusions or dangers leap out at them. Sareena suggests that because Sumancothep is dead, the magic from this place is gone.

"I hope that doesn't mean this place will come crashing down too," Kaito says, heading back to his things. He takes out a towel and dries himself off before handing it to Sareena.

As she dries her hair, she looks at him curiously, as though she is staring at someone completely new. "Kaito, that red power… what was that?"

"I don't know," he replies quickly, rubbing his hands together. "I just got angry enough and… boom."

"You destroyed his entire temple, and him along with it."

"Yeah, hence the 'boom' I mentioned."

"Do you know what caused it?"

Initially, he is silent. His eyes drift over to the duffel bag, inside of which is the book concerning the legend of the Crimson Thunderbolt, the warrior wreathed in red lightning. He licks his lips and says, "No."

He then looks back at the orb in his hands, feeling its warmth. He runs a hand over its smooth, glowing surface before placing it safely in the duffel bag.

Several minutes of drying later, they begin to leave the temple. As they round another corner, a door that was previously hidden from all eyes is now apparent. Looking within, the trio discovers a room full of gold from various cultures, places and histories, all given as tribute to the now-dead mummy sorcerer and buried with his original body, a grand golden sarcophagus in the heart of the room that is now empty.

Tortek rushes inside and picks up a golden necklace. "Such shinies…"

Sareena looks around, her eyes wide. "Such wealth could buy a kingdom…"

Kaito, however, isn't quite so certain. As he steps into the room, he watches his companions pick up various bits of gold, gems and jewelry, all the while feeling that something seems wrong. "You know, in my realm, they say that the gold buried in tombs like these is cursed. Now once upon a time I would've called all of that hokey, but seeing as how we just fought a mummified sorcerer, if it's all the same to you I don't want to risk it."

"A bit superstitious, don't you think?" Sareena says. "This gold could be valuable to our cause. Those snakefolk seem rather fond of it; perhaps we could recruit them with it?"

"How are we going to carry it out of here?" Kaito points out.

"I'll carry some!" Tortek says, scooping up big handfuls of coins and gems.

"I'm telling you, we should leave it," Kaito says. "I just have a feeling, is all."

Sareena shrugs and speaks dismissively. "Suit yourself. Gold isn't really my color, anyway." She casually tosses aside a ring she was looking at and walks out.

"But… but shinies!" Tortek says in protest.

"Tortek!"

"Aw…" The tarkatan drops the necklace and follows along as they leave the temple. Outside the pyramid, the massive sphinx Turana is no longer next to the entryway, but in front of the structure itself, stretching her massive limbs and impressive wingspan not unlike a cat would. She looks at the trio as they walk out, her eyes now normal and expressive.

"I felt the bonds holding me within the temple vanish… You have done it, then?"

"Suman-whatever is no more," Kaito says. "You're free?"

"I am!" Turana replies, giving a flap of her wings that kicks up a sizeable gust of sand. They shield their eyes as she lands on her forepaws. She bows her head forward. "I owe you a debt, Kaito. How would you have it be paid?"

Kaito puts his hands on his hips. "We could use your help in the fight against the Emperor. Surely you've some power about you? Why not travel with us? Be our new companion?"

She seems surprised. "You would have me accompany you? Truly?" She seems excited by the idea of travelling with companions.

"Sure. Why not? Ever been to Earthrealm, where I'm from? It's a nice place. Creatures like you are legends there, that's how I knew you were a sphinx."

"My mother was of Earthrealm," Turana explains. "Or rather, visited it… I think. It has been very long since I was last told the tales. But never mind that! If I can aide you best by accompanying you, I shall."

Sareena coughs into her hand and raises a brow. "She's a bit big, isn't she?"

The sphinx overhears and closes her eyes, casting a spell upon herself to reduce her stature to one that is no larger than a standard humanoid. Before their amazed eyes she shrinks down. "One of my tricks," she says with a pleased smile.

"That's definitely a neat trick," Kaito replies. "But is it an illusion? What is your natural size?"

"This is actually my normal state," she answers, stretching out her wingspan again. "Growing larger is one of my many spells."

Kaito is about to ask what else she can do when Sareena interrupts. "Can't you wear something over your chest?"

Turana lets out a small, "Humpf! You find me a brassiere that grows and shrinks, and I'll show you a modest sphinx!"

"You're one to talk," Kaito says to the demon, pointing at her skimpy leather outfit of black and red. "Look at what you wear!"

"I'm not nude," she condescendingly replies.

"I know a few places back home that would disagree."

She lets out a frustrated sigh. "Very well, she can come along. Let's leave this dreadful desert already. I don't plan on standing in the hot sun and discussing fashion all afternoon."

Together, the four of them travel up a nearby hill. Just when Kaito was starting to debate if it would be rude or not to ask Turana to turn large and fly them out of the desert on her back, a group of several snake warriors led by a male of the species rapidly approach. Sareena spots them first and takes out a knife; they follow her in preparing for battle. The snakes half-surround them in a semicircle before the lead snakeman calls out, "Halt! Hand over all of your valuables, outsiders!"

'We could probably take them,' he thinks to himself, knowing they have the advantage of powers they do not know about, such as his lightning and Turana's magic. 'But maybe we won't need to.'

As the standoff ensues, Kaito reaches into his duffel bag and holds up the orb. "I tore this from the undead sorcerer's hands. His temple is empty now, save for all of the gold within. We saw it ourselves and took none. If you hurry, it could all be yours…"

The snakeman scoffs. "You expect me to believe you took none of the treasure for yourselves?"

"He's very stupid," Sareena deadpans.

He shoots her a hurt look. "Hey!"

"You two," the snakeman says, pointing at two of his lessers. "Scout it out."

Kaito smiles wryly. "If you trust them not to hide some of it for themselves. There is much within."

The snakes all look at each other for a moment, all thinking the same thing, before the slither past the four companions and down the dune towards the temple. "That's what greed will do to you," he says to the others.

"Fine, point taken," Sareena replies. "I still think we could have taken some of it."

"Look on the bright side! If it is cursed, they'll get the bad stuff and we won't. Now, let's get out of here before more show up!" Kaito suggests. He looks at their new sphinx friend. "Say, Turana, would it be alright if we… you know…" He motions to her back.

"I don't mind," she says, closing her eyes and casting the spell. Turana once more grows to her massive state and lays low, enough for everyone to climb aboard her back. "Hang on!" she says as she takes off. "It's been a while since I've flown, so I might be a little rusty!"

The three of them grab tightly onto her fur as the flies south at Kaito's direction. The sphinx soars across the sands, casting a great shadow beneath them. What a sight this must be to those down below—a massive part-woman, part-cat and part-bird flying with three people on her back! Kaito laughs as he holds on. "Now this is the way to fly!" he shouts, letting out a cry.

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Sareena shouts back. "But I think Tortek may just lose his breakfast."

Kaito looks back at the poor tarkatan, who indeed looks like he may just lose his lunch. The human shakes his head. 'Well, I suppose I'll add bad with flying on the list under can't swim, loves to eat and afraid of heights.' To his credit, he does manage to avoid vomiting, which Turana undoubtedly appreciates. In a matter of a half-hour, they traverse the entire distance that they did so on foot, and soon see the end of the desert.

"To the forest!" he shouts to her over the wind. She does just that, landing right at the edge of the large trees and kneeling down to let them off.

That's when Tortek wanders over to the nearest tree and barfs on it. They avert their eyes from the sight, as a heaving tarkatan is not the most pleasant of things to look at. Turana shrinks down and stands with the other two as they politely wait for him to finish. Tortek wanders back over, holding his stomach.

"I… hungry," he says.

"Yeah, I bet you've got plenty of room in there now, huh?" Kaito says as he pats him gently on the back. "We'll eat soon. First thing's first, let's deliver the orb to Asgaarth and the birdfolk." He takes it out and holds it up to inspect it once more. "Now let's go."

It doesn't seem to take as long to find them this time as last. Perhaps it is because the orb is in his hand, but now the companions are approached much earlier, and without all the fog. Asgaarth and three of his warriors approach them from behind a group of the trees, and his face and voice are full of mirth when he looks upon the orb.

"You are truly a great and noble warrior to return this to us," he says, taking it from Kaito. He holds it up high to admire it. "Not only will we now help you, but your efforts have also brought us one step closer to a free Edenia."

Kaito blinks a few times as he hears that name. "Edenia… Edenia… Wait… That is the home realm of Princess Kitana!"

The avian lowers the orb and looks at him with mild surprise. "You know the princess?"

"Yes! I helped her during the Mortal Kombat tournament. She is my ally—she actually healed me completely when that one," he points his thumb at Tortek, "stabbed me to near death."

One of his bushy eyebrows raises as he looks at Tortek, then back at Kaito. "I was advisor to her father, King Jerrod. Our people lived peacefully in Edenia, until he was murdered by the foul Emperor… Shao Kahn."

Kaito leans back slightly. "Huh. So that's his name? Hard to believe that up until now that's never come up in conversation."

Asgaarth continues, "Shao Kahn murdered King Jerrod and wed Queen Sindel, adopting the princess. Then Edenia was absorbed into Outworld, like so many realms before it. My people were forced into exile."

"Well, Kitana is still alive, and she helped us during the tournament. She told me that she did not wish to see any other realm fall to the Emperor like her home did."

"That does indeed sound like the Kitana I have known since she was but a child."

"So then you're thousands of years old as well," Kaito notes by reasoning of deduction. "Have you spoken to her recently?"

"No. I have been in hiding, along with my people, and have not seen her in ages. But as she has named you an ally, so too are you an ally of mine, and not merely because you retrieved this orb for us."

He points at it. "What does the orb do, exactly?"

"By itself, it is little more than an item of great power. Combined with a restored Edenian Kamidogu, however…"

"Kami-whatnow?"

The birdman waves it off. "A topic for later. We must prepare for movement. We will meet you in the west one day from now."

Kaito nods and bows to the man, who does the same. They part ways afterwards, with Kaito and his companions now travelling west.

"What a fascinating people," Turana notes. "You have made strong allies!"

"Let's hope they are worth their salt when the time comes," Sareena says. "They already lost one war long ago."

"Have some faith," Kaito urges. "Things have gone wonderfully today! We got the orb, have a new friend, and new allies. I'd say things went just about perfectly, really."

"Could use more food," Tortek mutters.

"Alright, other than that, things went perfectly."

As it turns out, he would eat those words. Upon leaving the forest, climbing onto Turana's back, flying for a short while westward towards Tianshou, they discover it to be on fire. From high above they witness the pillar of smoke and then quickly dive down towards it. Turana lands atop a hill outside the town and they scramble off to look down at it.

Even the briefest of surveys allows them to learn that it is Hideyoshi and his men who are attacking. Kaito realizes that they must have travelled north only initially and then slipped notice, making their way down south to here to enact their sudden and swift vengeance. As the walls and buildings of the village burn, the warriors attempt to fend off the more seasoned-veterans of Shao Kahn's soldiers. With the bulk of their defense still away, the village is all but defenseless.

But not for long.

Kaito grits his teeth and balls his hands into fists as he charges down the hill, his ears filled with the sounds of fire and screams, seeking out Hideyoshi. Three enemy soldiers see him coming and prepare to attack. He charges past the closest two, dodging their swords, punching the third in the face with this spiked gauntlet, piercing one of his eyes. The man goes down as Sareena and Tortek descend upon the other two. Not far away, Turana leaps alongside one of the buildings and swipes at a Kahn soldier with her large paw, knocking him aside.

Kaito makes his way into the village's center as the farmers and merchants run from the Emperor's warriors. He can already see them setting fire to more buildings, including Yanake's home. Kaito pushes past two frightened villagers and looks around, eventually setting his sights on the man he seeks: Hideyoshi. "You!" he shouts to get his attention.

The large man makes his way through the soldiers, holding up a blood-soaked glaive. "I had hoped you'd be here… you're just in time to see an end to the uprising."

Kaito points at him. "You said you'd hope to see me on the field of battle! This isn't a battle, it's a massacre, you dishonorable dog!"

The man laughs. "Battle… Massacre… At the end of the day, it's all the same to me."

"Then instead of a battle, I challenge you… to MORTAL KOMBAT! Do you accept, or yield?"

The man stabs the head of his weapon into the ground and draws a sword from his belt. "I accept, weakling!"

"And may the best man win!"

As the village burns around them, Hideyoshi charges in with his sword, slashing at Kaito, who deftly dodges the attack. He charges his hands with electrical energy and claps them together, creating a blinding flash of white light. As the large warrior stumbles backwards, groaning and holding one hand up to his stunned eyes and swinging his sword blindly, Kaito follows it up with a thunderous punch, the force of which sends the man hurtling into a nearby burning building, straight through the wall.

Nearby, Sareena and Tortek fight against some of the Emperor's henchmen and hold them off as people evacuate and rescue important things from the burning bulidings. Kaito readies himself as Hideyoshi leaps from the wooden building, tearing off a chunk of burning wood and hurtling it at Kaito, who kicks it aside.

Sword in hand, he charges back at his opponent, swinging it over and over again. Kaito plays defensively, using his speed to his advantage and dodging each deadly swipe. He sees one horizontal slash coming and flips backwards, kicking Hideyoshi's chin under his helmet with both feet as he does. When he lands, his hands are up again, ready to fight.

Shaking his head, Hideyoshi howls as he brings his sword down low to attempt impaling Kaito. He sees the attack coming and leads the man on, before moving to the side and bringing his palm up under the elbow of the sword arm, at the same time bringing his other arm chopping down on the forearm, snapping the arm backwards at the elbow, causing him to drop his sword. Hideyoshi shouts in pain, reaching for the dropped sword with his other hand, but Kaito twists the arm some more, forcing him down onto a knee. He manipulates the arm to force him onto both knees, holding onto him tightly as the combined might of Sareena, Tortek and Turana fend off the others.

It would not be long before the remainder of Hideyoshi's forces are similarly routed when Yanake and reinforcements from other villages arrive to chase them down. Trapped on two sides by her forces and Turana's massive form, and with burning walls keeping them inside the village, they have nowhere else to go.

Hideyoshi, reduced to a bloody mess by Kaito's manipulation of his arm, manages to stop grunting long enough to spit out, "This means nothing. More of the Emperor's men are coming… this region will never be free, so long as the Emperor lives!"

"Nobody lives forever," Kaito says, twisting the man's arm one final time. He leans down and picks up the sword, considering using it to finish him off. 'It would be fitting.'

As he lifts it up, Yanake approaches. "Hold, Kaito! We might be able to interrogate him about the enemy forces in the north." She looks down at him distastefully and adds, "And I personally want to make him suffer for what he has done to my home."

Kaito nods and drops the man, whereupon he is tied up and dragged off by some of her men. Yanake remains and looks up at him. "We saw the smoke from a distance," she explains. "We realized quickly what had happened. But we did not expect to find you here, with…" Her voice trails off as she looks at Turana, who picks up one of the enemy soldiers in a paw and tosses him away into a burning building.

"That's Turana. She's our friend now."

"I'm glad she's on our side."

"That's not all. We came back from the forest and the desert in the east. The birdfolk, led by a warrior named Asgaarth, will help us—we secured their allegiance in exchange for performing a task, and picked up Turana along the way. The snakefolk were too greedy to be trusted."

Yanake, though disheartened by the loss of her village, remains strong. "This is bright news in dark times. You have helped us greatly in this fight, Kaito."

He looks around at the burning buildings and the ruined homes, the bodies of the dead both friend and foe alike.

"Maybe so. But the war isn't over yet."

* * *

 **This chapter was an important one in the history of the quest. It established a few key things that would later go on to be major recurring elements, such as Asgaarth, the snakefolk of the desert, etc., but the most important of which is undoubtedly Turana. When I first wrote in the mystical massive monster with magnificent mammary glands, I did not know at the time that she would go on to become one of the most popular—and tragic—characters in the story. Whenever I have an adventure in, say, D &D, I enjoy throwing a sphinx with some riddles at my players, and so too was it with Mortal Kombat Konquest. I hadn't planned for the players to ask her to come along, but when they did, how could I say no?**

 **Particularly astute fans of obscure MK lore might recognize her riddles and where they come from. To those that don't, too bad!**


End file.
